


The Date

by dragonquesttbh



Series: Hapless Heroes [2]
Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: (hopefully), Bathing/Washing, Corsair!Erik, El being mysterious ™, El is mad, Erik gets hit on, Erik suffers yet again, How Not To Do The Sex™ by Erik, M/M, More tags to be added, NSFWish, Overprotective boyfrans, Sad boi antics, Serena is secretly hench, Sharing a Bed, The boys are gonna go on a date (soon), We love a morning after chapter, finally at the actual date, first:, linking arms for support, some porn but mainly feelings, unwanted flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-11-08 04:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17974817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonquesttbh/pseuds/dragonquesttbh
Summary: Little has happened since Erik and El's encounter in the tent, both boys being very awkwardly self-conscious and unsure how to proceed. Things heat up in a visit to Gallopolis, though not necessarily for the right reasons, when a certain annoying prince throws a spanner in the works.Minor spoilers for party members you have in Act IIIFollows on from 'fun in the forest' but can stand alone!





	1. A Royal Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Where are we going, Erik?" El couldn't stop his eyes darting around excitedly as the other boy directed him through the thick crowds.
> 
> He paused and turned to face him.
> 
> "You'll see." He replied, lazily flashing his lopsided grin.
> 
> How El loved that grin. It made him, feel things. Things that perhaps he shouldn't feel. He relished every second of that smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's what ya need to know if you haven't read the other fic:
> 
> \- Erik broke his arm  
> \- Him and El kissed & fell asleep together  
> \- El read a note (from Sylv to Erik) that stated Erik loved him  
> \- this all happened roughly a month ago
> 
> You're all caught up ;-) enjoy

Clothes clung uncomfortably to the bodies of the eight travelers in the thick desert heat. None of them had quite adjusted to the climate like the Gallopolitans, least of all Erik, whose body was accustomed to the freezing Snifflheim winters.

He grimaced, wanting nothing more than to strip off his Corsair coat, which was grimly plastered to him. Pride got in the way, however, as he knew that the outfit looked much better with the coat. Besides, he really didn't want the others to see his ugly sweat patches. Well, one person in particular. He also knew _said person_  was very fond of this outfit, him being the one who had bought it for Erik. His self-preservation and need to please El triumphed over his own discomfort.

The temperature wasn't the only cause of uneasiness. There was a lingering awkwardness between El and Erik- little had happened since the events in the forest. The events that had ended so passionately.  
They slept next to eachother every night, but they always had, ever since the day Erik broke him out of jail. They'd kissed a handful of times, quick, light kisses, nothing compared to that morning in the tent. Both were hesitant and afraid, it being uncharted territory for the two of them. El was still the largely inexperienced boy from before, while Erik had the opposing problem of being well experienced, but not knowing exactly _how_  to deal with romantic encounters that lasted more than a night.

Though the thief's arm was no longer in a sling, the mild throbbing in his wrist was a constant reminder of the experience they had shared together.  
How El had painstakingly cared for him with his self-inflicted injuries. How El blushed furiously when he pulled him on top of him. How El had fearlessly kissed him in front of all of their friends.

He'd made no such bold moves since.

El stole glances at the boy walking next to him. He knew he was too hot but also way too stubborn to remove his thick coat.  
He also knew that Erik _loved him_ , though he hadn't told him he knew this. He wasn't supposed to have read the note from Sylv, which had stated in black and white that Erik really did love him. He had to wait until Erik was ready to open up. He hadn't told Erik that he loved him either, so he couldn't really blame him for withholding this deep confession.

_Maybe he's fallen out of love with me? I need to do something, anything..._

He forced himself into action.

"You not gonna take that off?" He tugged at the embroidered sleeve.

"Why would I?" He defended, lifting his chin up indignantly, not wanting El to uncover his secret vanity.

"Because you're clearly too hot." He gave him a wry smile.

_In more ways than one._

"You know what they say? Beauty is pain." He replied, flipping his hand dramatically whilst trying to keep a straight face.

El laughed breathily, amused by how ridiculous Erik could be. _Why wouldn't he just take it off!_

Unthinkingly, he linked his arm in Erik's, gently pulling him closer as they walked through the giant stone gates. He smelt like dusty air and stale sweat, which would be unpleasant if it wasn't so comforting. So _Erik_. It wouldn't be right if he smelt like roses or sandalwood.

Erik flinched back, shook by the unexpected contact. Panic ran across his face as his eyes darted between the townspeople and El.

"You can't just do that! You don't know what folks are like round here..."

He could sense the other party members' eyes on him, judging him harshly.

 _I bet they think I'm an asshole_.

El looked down glumly, hurt by the blatant rejection.

"Oh."

_Was Erik ashamed of him?_

Once his breathing began to slow, Erik placed a calming hand on his shoulder, saddened by the abject pain on El's face.

"Sorry, I--" he struggled to get his words out.  
"I can make it up to you... Later?" He grinned cunningly, hoping it would both cheer him up and elicit a satisfying reaction.

El could feel his face heat up. _Later_? Did that mean him and Erik, in their own room at the inn, doing _things_? The idea both excited and terrified him. Erik had told him his inexperience wasn't a problem, but deep down El feared disappointing him. If Erik saw how sexually awkward he was, maybe he'd stop being interested.

But, there was no privacy in the communal tent, so while they were in town seemed like a perfect opportunity to make up for lost time. He couldn't pass up the chance to spend some _quality time_  with Erik in case there wasn't another convenient moment- crippling anxiety, or not.

 _Later_.

The word caused his fingers to twitch in anticipation.

Erik drank in the flustered look on El's face, thoroughly enjoying his reaction. Slowly, he leant towards him to whisper softly, out of the earshot of the others.

"You don't know how much I wanna hold you right now, but it's... dangerous. Especially considering that, you know, you're the Luminary, saviour of all Erdrea, and I'm, well, common as fuckin' dirt." He kicked at the dusty ground to emphasise his point.  
"The Luminary and the criminal, huh? Don't think the Gallopolitans would be a fan of that one." He shrugged dismissively, trying to downplay his self deprecating comment.

El's brow furrowed.

_Erik was worried about making him look bad?_

He hated Erik putting himself down, especially when he used it as an opportunity to elevate El above him. All he wanted was Erik to see himself as his equal. To see his true worth. To see the shining light that El saw every time he looked at him. The beacon of hope.

"What's wrong?" Erik asked worriedly, sensing El's unhappiness.

El hastily shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I--- I don't feel like we spend enough time together, you know, _alone._ " He bit his lip nervously, suddenly realising how suggestive that sounded.  
"Ummm, I-- I don't mean bedroom stuff, just, you know, hanging out. Sometimes I almost want it to be like old times, us on the run, you know, hiding from Hendrik." He confessed, the words tumbling from his mouth clumsily, face reddening.

"Hmm, okay." Erik tapped his chin thoughtfully.  
"We could piss off Hendrik then he would probably chase us? I dunno, like, pinch his sword?" He reached out into El's pocket and lightly retrieved his hand.

El gave a half hearted laugh.

Erik cocked his head to the side sympathetically then continued.

"Seriously though, you want some alone time? I can give you that." He added with a wink, closing his hand tighter around El's.

El let out a muffled squeal as he felt himself being dragged by the arm by an overexcited Erik.

"See you guys later!"

He gave a comically big wave to the rest of the group then proceeded to tug El further into the town. El could feel his heart beating hard against his ribcage.

Alone time, _with Erik?_  He wanted nothing more.

Sylvando watched them disappear into the throng of people.

"Finally! I was beginning to worry that our boys weren't getting anywhere..." he exclaimed joyfully.

"Poor El, when Erik told him off he looked like a puppy who'd just been kicked..." Veronica sighed.

"Yeah, _poor_  thing." Serena agreed sympathetically.

Hendrik looked away, concern even more present on his face than usual. Jade raised an eyebrow at him, noticing that he clearly had something on his mind. He quickly avoided her disarming look and turned to Rab.

"Lord Robert, may I speak my mind?"

"Of course, Hendrik! You dinnae need to ask, son."

"Forgive me, I won't do it again." He dutifully held a hand to his chest and bowed his head.

Rab sighed, _you could take the Knight out of Heliodor..._

"I do not wish to cause unrest but I'm concerned that the two of them could... make a scene."

"Ah, I see. I wouldnae worry yourself about it, they're smart lads." Rab comforted gently.

"Quite right! You need to loosen up Hendrik." Veronica rolled her eyes.  
"Anyway, I've got a real problem."

"What is it Veronica?" Serena queried, mildly concerned.

"When are we going to get lunch?! I'm _starving_." She patted her grumbling stomach.

"Oh Veronica honey, you're so dramatic, you know that? And those two? They'll be just fine. If the past month is anything to go by, it's unlikely we'll be seeing any PDA anytime soon." Sylvando added.

Hendrik narrowed his eyes in confusion and placed a hand to his chin.

"Public displays of affection." Jade quietly supplied.

He nodded gratefully.

"I'm just thankful they're not being so _awkward_  near us. It was unbearable!"

Veronica paused, shielding her eyes from the blazing desert sun as she looked for the nearest restaurant. She pointed firmly.

"There! Let's go get lunch!"

The others nodded in agreement, and headed towards the pale building.

 

* * *

 

"Where are we going, Erik?" El couldn't stop his eyes darting around excitedly as the other boy directed him through the thick crowds.

He paused and turned to face him.

"You'll see." He replied, lazily flashing his lopsided grin.

How El loved that grin. It made him, _feel_ _things_. Things that perhaps he shouldn't feel. He relished every second of that smile.

His vision blurred as once again he was pulled through the crowd, giddy from the heat and the excitement.

"Ta-daaa!" Erik gestured ahead.

Suddenly, there were no longer surrounded by people and El could make out the intense scents of horse poo and body odour. He looked up, and to his dismay, noted a ticket booth.

"The races?" He had little energy to hide his disappointment.

"Aw, don't look so sad. It'll be fun, I promise."

He jokingly put out his pinky, which El twined with his own then shook weakly.

"Okay." He sighed.

"Well don't sound too pleased!" Erik replied in a light, faux exasperated tone.

"I thought we were gonna be alone..." He closed his eyes sadly.

Erik reached out to delicately move a strand of hair from El's face. El opened his eyes to a soft look on Erik's face.

"See, I'm one step ahead of you there." He withdrew his hand slowly, grazing his cheek.

"Crowds are great to hide in, trust me. We won't draw attention to ourselves. Anyway, it's much classier than snogging in some dingy alleyway; I mean, first off, they'd probably arrest one of us for solicitation." He gave a nervous smile.

 _Has that happened to him_ _before?_ El wondered.

The alleyway currently seemed more appealing than being stuck in another crowd, though, even with the looming threat of jail. _Maybe if they both got arrested, they could recreate their great escape-_

El broke free of his irrational thoughts, unsure which part of Erik's sentence to respond to. He simply nodded, understanding his reasoning. He should know to trust him in his ability to lay low, with his previous _lifestyle_. Well, apart from him getting caught for the orb theft. El mentally glossed over that one.

They walked through the gate to stadium and took their seats. El felt a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"What about-" he looked at Erik anxiously, remembering his earlier reluctance.

"They'll be too fixated on the races, don't worry." He seemed completely at ease. This put El at ease. Erik rarely let his guard down, so when he actually did, it was probably safe to do so too.

"Okay." He smiled and leant into him.

He was filled with warmth as he relaxed into the embrace and closed his eyes. This was _perfect_. He could feel Erik's steady breaths against him, a constant reminder of his current safety and their closeness.

"You alright there, partner?" Erik asked, stroking his hand through El's hair.

"More than."

Erik looked down at the boy lying against him and smiled, this was the closest they'd been in ages: physically and emotionally.

Unfortunately, the scarce moment of contentedness was shattered by a familiar grating voice.

"There you are!" It declared emphatically.

El's eyes flew open.

Erik groaned, _not Faris_. He could feel El stiffen against him. He could see the prince had badly attempted to disguise himself with a heavy cloak.

"If it isn't my best friend!" He kissed both of El's cheeks, who looked visibly uncomfortable.  
"And, er, you!" He awkwardly glanced at Erik.

He scowled. "It's Erik."

How he hated that gutless prince. They'd still had no reward for doing his dirty work- competing in the Sand National _and_ defeating the Slayer of Sands.

_Stupid, ungrateful prick. How dare he have the audacity to call El his 'best friend.'_

To add insult to injury, he couldn't even be bothered to remember his name. Surprising, considering he seemed _very_  interested in Erik the night the Slayer was defeated. Well, maybe interested wasn't the right word. More like _obsessed_.

Erik realised the prince was looking at him again. There was something weirdly intense in his gaze. It made Erik uneasy.

"What is it that you do again... Oh, yes, a thief! How's that going for you, my friend?" He leant down so only Erik could hear his next words.

"If I catch your hand in my coin purse, I will have to execute you! Cute or not." He poked Erik's cheek then laughed at his own joke, obnoxious as ever.

Erik growled, unsure if it was more humiliating if he was mocking him or if he was serious. Execution would at least be a way out of this horrific situation.  
He knew rich types well- they believed they were entitled to anything or anyone they wanted. Faris was no different.  
And what he wanted was something Erik was decidedly not willing to give him.

He clenched his fist, only managing to cool off a little when El touched his hand reassuringly.

Faris stretched back and sighed, noting Erik's annoyance, but not particularly caring.

"I trust you two are having a good time?"

He leant forward and squashed himself between the two, causing Erik to squirm as his arm was removed from El's shoulders.

_He'd better not start on me again. Or El for that matter._

"I was until you came along..." He muttered, a little too loudly.

"Hey, now, that's not very nice. Behave yourself." He pointed his finger at him accusingly.

Erik averted his gaze, knowing Faris was playing a game, one he was not happy to play along with. He couldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Erik..." El looked at him pleadingly. He hated confrontation. The last thing he needed was Erik starting an argument with the prince in front of the whole of Gallopolis and ending up spending the night in jail.

"Fine. Stay." He relented wearily.

"Yay! I can't wait to hang out with you guys!"

Erik slumped in his chair, feeling defeated.

"So, what brings you two to Gallopolis?" He asked enthusiastically.

Erik remained silent, not wanting to humour the irritating prince.

"Just taking a break, we've been on the road for ages. Haven't we, Erik?"

He gave him a look that Erik read as _please save me._

"Uh huh."

 _Sorry El_.

"Really? You don't have to lie to your old friend! We all know you both came to see me." He chuckled.  
He then reached out his arms and pulled them both into an ungracious hug, causing El and Erik to gasp collectively. Erik could feel Faris' hand slip a little lower than he was comfortable with. As he drew back, his hand shifted firmly onto Erik's thigh.

 _Gross_.

There wasn't much he could do, though, considering Faris was the prince of Gallopolis, and he was just a common thief. The prince held all of the power and Erik had none.  
He just had to grin and bear it.  
Besides, while traveling by himself, he'd had far worse encounters.  
He reckoned Faris was just misguided, rather than genuinely perverted, his main issue being that he was _so damn annoying_.

 _It could be worse._  He repeatedly told himself, despite the fact that in that moment, it couldn't possibly feel worse.

El noticed the placement of Faris' hand out of the corner of his eye. He grimaced. Erik detested being touched by people who didn't know him, let alone by people he vehemently hated.

Erik fought to distract himself by watching the race, trying to swallow down the unpleasantness of the current situation.

 _Well this plan couldn't have backfired any more._  
Not only were him and El not alone, but they were stuck with _Faris_.

"What's his problem?" Faris asked dumbly, turning to El.

"He's just tired, I think." El lied, knowing full well the cause of Erik's discomfort.

"I'm right here you know." Erik muttered, at his wit's end. He hated people talking about him as if he wasn't there.

"Sorry..." El mumbled.

"S'fine." He crossed his arms protectively across his chest, hoping Faris would take this as a signal to retreat.

"Erik..."

"What!" He uttered a little more aggressively than he intended.

El's mouth hung open briefly before he limply shut it, eyes falling to the ground.

"Let him sulk." Faris interjected,  
"Erik doesn't want to play today, huh? That's okay. We all have bad days, though yours seems to be a little bit of a bad year!" He guffawed, once again finding himself hilarious.

This angered Erik further, who firmly closed his eyes and willed himself away from the stadium.  
He pictured himself lying in the tent, El next to him, sleeping peacefully. He desperately held onto the image for as long as possible. His frazzled mind struggled against the heat and his discomfort, intensely not wanting to rise to Faris' behaviour.

Faris slid his arm from Erik's thigh to around his back and pulled him closer.

"Isn't he just so cute when he's angry!" He pinched his cheek.

El laughed awkwardly, uncomfortable with the amount he was touching Erik.

_Surely, he wasn't, flirting? Not with Erik. His Erik._

El was frozen to the spot.

"Cheeeer up, it might never happen!" He stroked Erik's back, hand gradually reaching further down until it rested on his hip.

His eyes remained shut.

_Well it's already happened, and it's still happening right now._

Faris leant in again, unpleasantly sweet breath grazing his face.

"Playing hard to get, huh?" He giggled.  
"I do like a challenge."

Something inside him snapped. He opened his eyes to glare at his harasser.

"I'm not interested in you Faris! Never have been, never will. I am not _playing hard to get!"_

"Not so loud..." Faris was taken aback by his sudden defiance.

"What? Am I embarrassing you?!" He replied, even louder and more furious than before.

"Sh, sh, sh. We could... come to an agreement. I am very rich, you know. I could give you whatever you wanted!"

Exhuding smugness, he examined Erik as if he were a prize racehorse.

El's jaw dropped.

"You're really tryin' to buy me now? That's pretty fuckin' low. There's only one thing I want, and that has nothing to do with you."

He glanced at El, who was relieved that Erik had finally fought back, even if it meant trouble down the line.  
He'd cross that bridge when he'd come to it.  
He couldn't bear seeing Faris so blatantly act like he owned Erik, and was grateful that his entitled behaviour was being challenged.

Faris was shocked into silence, unsure how to respond. Erik continued.

"Ever since I turned you down on the night of the Slayer, you've been acting like I owe you something."

El gasped.

_So that's why he hated him. Wait- why hadn't Erik told him?_

"Which, for the record, I don't. Please, just go, before I make a scene." He waved his hand dismissively.

Faris huffily withdrew his hand from behind Erik.

"Hm! No such thing occured, you are simply delusional." He folded his hands behind his head, trying to put up a relaxed facade to hide his faltering sense of calm.

"Uh huh? You sure?" He shifted towards him began to imitate Faris' thick accent.  
"Ooo Ereeek, why don't you come back to my room, hm? I can make you feel... _special_." He smirked, locking eyes with the agitated prince, happy with his newfound power.

Faris appeared visibly shaken.

"I didn't- Pfft. Please, do not flatter yourself, _thief_. I probably mistook you for a whore." He managed to delivered the scathing dig semi-casually, knowing it would infuriate him further.

The power balance had shifted back. Erik shot up, trying to hide the shame spreading across his face.

_How dare he-_

"Seriously? That's the best you could come up with? Insulting me _yet again_  isn't gonna get me into bed with you, dumbass." He replied defiantly, his voice somewhat shaky.

 _This is probably the first time anyone's told him no,_     Erik figured.

"I am Gallopolitan royalty, you will show me some res-"

"You're a royal ass."

El tried to suppress a laugh.

"You insolent boy, you should be grateful-"

"Yeah, whatever. I'm goin' now. You comin' El?" He turned around, expecting El to follow him immediately. He didn't get up from his seat.

"Actually..."

Erik whipped his head around.

"Actually, _what?_ "

"There's... some important, er, business I need to attend to with Prince Faris. I.... Might be some time."

The prince looked at Erik triumphantly.

"You'd rather stay here, with that?!" He yelled, his voice almost breaking in distress.

"Erik, wait, let me explain-"

"Hmph, forget it."

He turned away and blindly pushed his way through the stadium, fighting the urge to burst into tears.

"You want me to send the guards after him? They'll be gentle, if that's what you want." He said the last part a little too gleefully for El's liking.

"Don't touch him." His tone became brisk. "There's something I need to make you aware of."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eek, El is not a happy bunny.  
> I always got those ~overfriendly~ vibes from Faris, right from the moment he looked El up and down in the throne room. Also, I'm curious, do Americans use the word snogging?? Is it a thing across the pond?


	2. Meddling Little Fucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you want to be?" She looked at him sweetly.
> 
> "Huh?"
> 
> "His boyfriend?"
> 
> "B-boyfriend?" He nearly choked on the word, eyes flitting nervously from side to side.
> 
> _More than anything._
> 
> He inhaled deeply in an attempt to regain composure and nodded limply, allowing himself to admit this to Serena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this one's kinda short coz it's building up to the actual action™.  
> I meant to post this yesterday but I got way too drunk n then wound up in some heavy lesbian drama  
> ♨(⋆‿⋆)♨  
> enjoy~

Panting heavily, Erik reached the safety of an empty alleyway. The air was cooler here, but it did nothing to calm his temper. He allowed his fist to meet the stone wall, hard.

He gasped. Pain seared through his knuckle, then shot up his wrist.

_Fuck._

In the intense rush of emotions, he'd completely forgotten about his partially-healed wrist. Hot tears burst from his eyes and rushed down his already blotchy face. He slowly turned and sunk against the wall, sobbing profusely.

_Stupid Faris. Thinking he was entitled to his body. Trying to humiliate him. Stealing El from him._

_Wait-- why did El stay?_

He felt betrayed by the only person he truly trusted. He saw Faris touching him inappropriately, why would he want to spend more time with him? Did he think Erik deserved it?

_No, El wasn't like that. There must be a reason._

He could feel bile rising in his throat. This time, he didn't feel like holding it down.

Spluttering, he let his head fall between his legs as he expelled the contents of his stomach all over the paving stones. He felt his head spin as dehydration began to set in.

Several minutes passed, Erik was unsure how many, being unable to form coherent thoughts- let alone keep track of time.

Soon after, though, he could feel attentive hands touching his hair, gently tying it out of his face. The same hands tilted his head up, and carefully dabbed at his face with a damp cloth. He looked up, seeing a blur of blonde and green.

"What are we going to do with you, eh?" She said kindly, concern marking her face.  
"Let's move you along a little, hm? Away from the, well..."

She helped him shift along to a drier spot, then quickly handed him her water skin.

"But I've just been sick..?" He looked up at her, slightly bemused.

"Exactly! You need all of the fluids you can get. Sip slowly, now, you don't want to overwhelm yourself." She responded brightly.

She looked at him how he imagined a mother would look at her child if they'd just grazed a knee. Of course, he'd never experienced this, having only been given the minimum basics for survival as a child. The love and care she gave him was completely alien to anything he'd experienced in his childhood.

_Oh Serena. What did the world do to deserve you?_

He did as she asked, greedily gulping down the water, extremely grateful for her kindness.

"What're you doin' in this alleyway anyways?" He asked, curious why someone like Serena would appear  somewhere so shady.

"I could very well ask you the same, young man!"

Erik looked down, not wanting to recount the painful events just yet.

Serena sensed his distress and cheerily filled the silence.

"Well, I was just going for a walk to clear my head. As much as I love our friends, sometimes I don't really want to listen to Veronica and Jade arguing about whether the correct pronunciation is ee-ther or ii-ther. It was driving me up the wall!" She paused. "What about you?"

_A walk? In an alleyway? She was so naïve._

Erik smiled, warmed by Serena's senseless nattering. It took his mind off the more serious matters at hand. Like what _El and Faris_  were doing right now.  
He clenched his jaw.

"S'a long story." He eventually replied, his voice solemn.

Serena sat on the shaded ground next to him and looked at him expectantly.

"Well, go on!"

He sighed deeply, there was no point withholding what happened from Serena. She would either understand, or at least try to, her being one of the most open-minded and kind-hearted people he'd met.

"Well, me 'n El went to the races. It was going pretty good, until _Faris_  turned up..."

Serena frowned sympathetically, aware that Erik hated the prince with a passion.

"Then he started being weird with me, I tried not to react, I really did, but-- it got too much." He smiled sadly.  
"I flipped out... bad." His hands tugged at his hair in frustration.  
"Maybe if I'd just put up with it a little bit longer then he would've got bored and left and... and... I'd still be with El. Oh, and El stayed with him after I stormed off. That's the worst part... I don't get it."

He hugged his knees protectively.

"Being weird?" Her eyes widened.

"Like, puttin' his arm round me, and... other stuff." His tone was sad, resigned.

"Oh, Erik! Don't be silly, no-one should have to tolerate that kind of behaviour." She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Couldn't he see that you and El are together?  Surely even _he_  can't be that blind..."

"Huh? Oh... I don't think we are." He dug his nails into his palms. "I mean... he was pretty much glued to me this morning, but that faded pretty fast as soon as Faris came along."

"Do you want to be?" She looked at him sweetly.

"Huh?"

"His boyfriend?"

"B-boyfriend?" He nearly choked on the word, eyes flitting nervously from side to side.

_More than anything._

He inhaled deeply in an attempt to regain composure and nodded limply, allowing himself to admit this to Serena.

_I owe her this much._

His eyes fell shut.

"I have no idea what I'm doing though, that's the thing. It's hard- I don't know the first thing about dating. Maybe he doesn't even want that." He bit his lip. "If he just wants something physical, then I'd do it, for him. I can at least give him that." He shrugged dismissively.

_And tear myself apart in the process._

"Erik!" She exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth.  
"Sometimes people call me dopey, but honestly, when it comes to El, you're much worse. This is coming from the girl who fell asleep in a crypt!" She giggled.  
"Don't you see how he looks at you?  Like you hold all the stars in your eyes? Can you ever really imagine him asking you for that kind of arrangement? You mustn't let your past experiences define you."

She gave him a knowing look.

"I guess he isn't really the fuckboy type..." He laughed and ran a hand through his hair.  
"Though, if he really _does_  like me, him staying behind with Faris makes even less sense." He remarked, mentally chiding himself for allowing himself to be sucked in.

Serena paused a moment, straining for a comforting response.

"Hmm, perhaps he didn't see that the prince was upsetting you?" She offered.

"Oh, he saw, alright. Just sat there and watched." He lowered his gaze, well aware of how bitter he sounded.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Also did nothin' when Faris called me a  _whore._ "

Serena gasped.

"Well, maybe-"

She didn't know how to finish that sentence, so instead shifted her focus onto Erik's physical injuries. She turned her gaze to his left fist, which was bleeding steadily, a red stream running down his arm.

"May I look at your hand?"

He offered it her weakly.

She pulled out a cloth from her leather pouch and held his hand tightly to stem the flow. He winced.

"The food at the restaurant is amazing, you'll love it!" She beamed, swiftly changing the subject.

"Not hungry." He muttered.

"You will be when you see it!" Her eyes lit up, recalling her aromatic meal.

Erik didn't look convinced. His mood wasn't helped by the fact that his hand hadn't stopped bleeding and he'd likely re-fractured his wrist. It hurt like hell, yet was nothing compared to the pain of being second choice to Faris.

"I think I'm going to have to bandage this up, young man. You've done yourself quite the injury."

She jokingly wagged her finger at him  then set out wrapping his hand with the cloth, humming tunelessly while Erik grit his teeth.

"There, all done! I think we better get back soon, don't you? We don't want the others sending out a search party." She kept her tone light, desperately trying to cheer him up.

"Just leave me here. Too dizzy to walk." He mumbled sadly.

"Oh Erik! You don't have to walk." She turned around and offered him her back. "All aboard!"

"A piggyback?" He looked at her in disbelief.

"Don't worry, I'm stronger than you think."

" _Okay._ " He conceded.

In spite of his scepticism, he leant against her and allowed himself to be hoisted up. He rested his head on her shoulder, somewhat surprised by her strength.

"Come on you, let's go and find the others." She smiled fondly, content that she'd managed to convince Erik to accept her help.

 

* * *

 

Sylv had just finished his plate when he spied a bedraggled Erik being held up by Serena.

"Erik, darling, are you okay?" He rushed to their side, hand over mouth.

Serena shook her head. She set him down at the table, his head flopping onto it.

"Poor lad's got heatstroke. Unsurprising considering he hails from the land of snow and ice."

Rab worriedly noted the boy breathing shallowly, aware that it wasn't healthy.

"I will fetch him some food and water." Hendrik offered, getting up dutifully and heading inside.

"I'm not so sure..." Veronica looked at him thoughtfully. "Just looks sad to me."

Sylv sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulders. Serena sat on his other side, worried about him falling sideways.

"You wanna talk about it, sweetie?" He asked gently, troubled by Erik's lack of movement.

Erik willed himself to lift his head slowly, ignoring the fact that his vision was dancing. He did not need their pity right now or want them to see his vulnerable side, which was strictly reserved for El.

_El._

He shrugged off Sylv's arm.

"I'm fine, you guys can stop looking at me like I'm dying. And if you must know, I ran into Faris, so..." He rolled his eyes dramatically.

Veronica filled in the gaps.

"Yuck! I understand why you look so pale now. No-one wants to see him on a hot day like this. Or, at all, for that matter." She joked, a hint of disgust in her voice.

"Did he do something, honey?" Sylv asked, concerned by the heaviness of Erik's expression.

"Just the usual." He sighed.

"Hmm, okay." He could tell there was something more to it, but didn't want to pressure Erik when he looked so exhausted.  
"Where's El?" He inquired instead.

"Hanging out with his _best friend._ " He scoffed, making no effort to hide his jealousy.

Before Sylv could ask what he meant by that, Hendrik re-emerged with soup and bread.

"Here, you must eat."

He set the food down in front of Erik before looking at him insistently.

"I don't-"

Sylv glared at him.

"Okay, okay, finee." He relented, knowing that once Sylv entered mother hen mode, there was no refusing him.

He tentatively started nibbling the bread, his mouth feeling drier than sandpaper. It scratched his throat, uncomfortably rough. Managing just a few mouthfuls, he began to feel faint again. He rested his heavy head on his hands, dizziness overcoming him as his vision swam.

"We're all going for dinner later, fancy that?" Serena asked cheerfully.

"I dunno..." His head was feeling heavier by the second.

"You're coming, and that's final!" Serena pinched his cheek playfully.

He shivered, recalling Faris doing the same earlier. It was the last thing he needed reminding of when he felt so woozy.

"Erik, are you alright?"

Before he could answer, the world began to spin. His head thumped against the wooden table, hard, then darkness took over.

 

* * *

 

Light curtains blew in the mild desert breeze, bringing a pleasant draft into the room.

Serena sat opposite Erik, who was passed out on a bed at the inn. He looked almost _peaceful._  She tapped her feet, impatient with worry as she monitored the steady rise and fall of his chest. Her thoughts turned to all of the things she could've done differently: more water, not moving him so quickly, maybe-  
A quiet knock at the door startled her out of her punishing thoughts.

She spun to see a hooded figure creaking it open tentatively, and caught a flash of blue eyes.  
  
"El! We were so worried!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet, overcome with joy.

"Where have you been?!" Veronica asked with an accusatory tone.

El shrugged, even more reserved than usual.

Erik could feel soft linen gently brushing his skin as he came around. He could also just make out the hum of familiar voices, but was unable to understand what they were saying.

"Darling, why are you wearing that _ghastly_ hood?" Sylv gasped.

"To keep the sun off my face." He replied quickly.

 _Suspiciously quickly_ , Jade thought, _as if the line was rehearsed._

"Where did you go, laddie? Poor Erik here wasnae making much sense."

"The palace. Where's Erik?" He speedily scanned the room, noticing blue hair poking out from underneath the sheets.

He dropped to the floor to kneel by his bedside.

"What's wrong with him? Is he okay?" He asked hurriedly, unable to take his eyes off the unmoving figure.

"He fainted, so he's resting. Other than that, he's okay." Jade said softly, trying to put him at ease.

Erik immediately recognised El's voice and sluggishly opened his lead-lined eyelids.

"El--" he mumbled.

Without thinking, El pulled him into a hug. His hood slipped back a little.

Erik briefly sank into him, only pulling back when he saw El's face. He reached out to touch it, noticing the entire right side was swollen and littered with angry red cuts and grazes.

"Your face..?" He looked appalled.

 _Had El got into a fight? No, not possible, he was too sweet-natured._  
_Mugged, maybe?_

Various horrific scenarios ran through his head, each one worse than the previous.

"I fell over. What about your hand?" He replied casually, seemingly unfazed by Erik's concern.

_Liar! There's no way-_

"Was an accident." He answered flatly.

Erik fell against his comforting warmth; El wrapped his arms around him once more. They both knew the other was lying but neither felt like confrontation when they were both so grateful to see each other.

Erik let his head flop limply onto El's shoulder. He was simultaneously thankful to be reunited with him but also furious that he hadn't been there to protect him from whatever happened. He vowed to never leave his side again. Instinctively, his fingers threaded into El's hair, holding him tight.

El kept his arms firmly around Erik's back, holding him close. He promised himself that he wouldn't let any harm come to him, not again.  
He couldn't stop himself from being mildly annoyed that Erik had worn that stupid outfit, the one that made his heart flutter, as it had likely caused him to faint. He was relieved to see he was no longer wearing it, though was now concerned he was wearing too little. He was completely bare from the waist up. El didn't dare glance beneath the sheets.

"So, we're thinking of heading to the restaurant at the fancy side of town. You two should head over there, grab a couple of drinks, while we sort out a few things over this end." Sylv offered, a mysterious glint in his eye.

"Uh, sure?" El replied, muffled by the presence of Erik's hair in his face.

Erik jolted back, suddenly aware that he was in nothing but underwear.

"Wait, my clothes... Uh, where are they?" He asked blearily, self consciously drawing the sheets up around himself.

"Oh Erik, I had to get you out of those silly, impractical clothes. Perhaps this would be better for the climate?"

Serena tossed him the swindler's outfit.

Realisation spread across Erik's face.

"Thanks Serena, I owe ya one." He gave her a grateful smile.  
"And, er, sorry for dropping out on you guys like that." He added sheepishly, fiddling with the sheets.

"No worries, just don't do it again. You had us all worried!"

"Even Veronica." Jade quietly put in.

Veronica huffed and looked away.

Erik smiled to himself then clumsily slid the trousers up under the covers, semi-incapacitated by his hand. He turned to El afterwards.

"Uh, can you give me a hand with the fastening?" He looked down, face colouring slightly.

"Of course." El replied sympathetically.

He marvelled in how _beautiful_  Erik looked in this light.  
El allowed his gaze to linger over his face lovingly until Erik shyly turned his back to him.

He nimbly tied the breastplate at the back then curled his arms around him to fasten the cape around his front. Before he could stop himself, he let his head fall onto his shoulder to whisper in his ear.

"You happy to get going?"

He shuffled around to face El, face still pink.

"Yeah."

They held each other's gaze for a stolen moment, until El broke the silence.

"Here, let me help you up, silly." He offered gently.

"Hey, I'm not silly."

He frowned jokingly before sticking his tongue out at El.

"Oh really? So you fainting had absolutely _nothing_  to with you wearing a heavy coat, in the _desert_." His voice was dripping with uncharacteristic sarcasm that'd put even Veronica to shame.

"Shut up..."

El stood up then offered him a hand, which Erik shakily took and unsteadily tried to get to his feet. He stumbled, falling directly against El's chest. El slipped his arms around him, trying to steady the wobbling boy.

"Are you sure you're ready? Maybe you should rest a bit longer." He eyed Erik apprehensively.

"Y-yeah! Of course. Umm..."

He pushed himself off El in an attempt to hide his unsteadiness.

"We've survived countless monster fights, you think I can't survive one trip to the pub?" He flashed a grin.

El sighed.

_A bar, Erik. Not a pub._

He hoped Erik wouldn't ruffle too many feathers once they got there.

"Fine, I know there's no talking you out of this. You have to at least let me support you, though."

"I mean, uhh, if it'll make you feel better..."  He scratched his head and glanced to the ground.

"It would, silly. C'mon, let's go."

Erik nodded meekly and allowed El to take his arm gently. They set off, out the door and down the rickety stairs, arms linked _for support._

"Well, we all know El's lying about his face. The question is, what actually happened and why won't he tell us?" Jade wondered aloud, pacing the room.

"Wish I knew, lassie, it doesn't seem right to me..."

"Why did you send them ahead, Sylv?" Serena interjected. "Surely it would've been better to send someone with them, considering they're both injured."

Veronica facepalmed.

"Serena, we're not going."

"But he said-"

"He's tricked them into going on a date." Jade provided, amused by Serena's lack of awareness.

"Oh, I _see._ " Her face lit up.

"Us lucky lot are getting inn food!" Sylv sang mockingly.

"Great." Veronica muttered. "Just what I wanted."

 

* * *

 

Erik lay across the booth at the restaurant bar, head on El's lap, knees bent up.

Erik's head had been resting on El the majority of the time they'd been there, both coming to the conclusion that the drunks cared little about subtle romantic displays. The only likely sober person was the barman, but he struck Erik as someone who'd seen much worse than two boys being mildly affectionate.

They'd munched their way through three bowls of the complimentary salty snacks. This was against Erik's better nature, who knew that they were there purely to get you to buy more drinks- not as a kindly gesture. He intensely regretted that decision, his mouth having been sapped of all moisture.

"Are they for real?! We've been waiting here a whole damn hour!" Erik grumbled, frustration running through his voice as he looked up at El.

El looked down sweetly at the boy resting on his lap and delicately brushed hair from his eyes.

Suddenly, the realisation dawned on Erik. He bolted upright, startling El.

_You idiot._

"They're not coming, _are they_?" He narrowed his eyes.

El shook his head, having realised only moments earlier. Though, he was secretly relieved that they had finally got some alone time.

"You think they did this on purpose?" He offered quietly, not quite believing his own suggestion.

 _"Definitely._ Meddling little fucks." Erik pressed a hand to his forehead.

"Ah, well, we can have a much better time without them cramping our style." He drew his hand back and smiled.

"Right!" El nodded.

"So here's the deal: I buy you a drink and you tell me what _really_  happened to your face."

\------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune in next time to find out why (maybe)?? -I'm aiming for weekly uploads--- if people like it ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ
> 
> Comments and kudos appreciated as always <3


	3. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El chewed at the inside of his cheek sheepishly, eyes fixed to the ground.
> 
> "Why would you do that? So stupid, so irresponsible-- hey, and you could've at least done it when I was there!"
> 
> He crossed his arms and pouted, looking (unconvincingly) sulky.
> 
> The barman once again turned around. The sound of glasses clattering fragmented the silence.
> 
> El eventually turned to Erik, looking distinctly embarrassed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick (semi-relevant) storytime: I was out last night n had no way of getting home n this guy I know said if I, quote, "paid him in sex" I could stay at his??? Oh n I'd kicked him earlier on (wearing high heeled boots) coz he called me a whore lol. It's weirdly similar to what happened in chapter 1 of this fic, eeek. Erik, my guy, I feel ya ⊙︿⊙

  

"I'm not sure you should be drinking..." El tugged at his collar nervously.

"Don't change the subject. You think I was born yesterday?" Erik smirked.

"Well, you didn't tell me about your hand!" He protested, finally looking up.

"I punched a wall. Your turn." Erik replied coolly. He hoped his casual tone would mean El wouldn't notice how depressing that sounded.

"Why did you do that?" He asked worriedly, clearly saddened by his self destructive behaviour.

He knew Erik often responded to stressful situations by hitting things; he guessed he'd never really been taught to express his emotions in a healthy way. Whenever he thought about Erik hurting himself, though, it caused a painful pang in his chest.

"Coz Faris was pissing me off... Hey, you're doing it again!"

El avoided his eye contact.

"Right, come with me."

He grabbed his hand and less-than-gently pulled him over to the bar.  
Once they reached it, his hand swiftly let go of El's, much to El's dismay.

"Hey, can we get some service please?"

The barman glared at Erik with annoyance.

"I see ya've finally decided to buy somefin'."

Erik rolled his eyes.

_What was his problem?_

He could already tell him and this guy were not going to get on. It didn't help that his accent was almost identical to Derk's- Erik still didn't quite believe his story of bribing the guards and this was just another painful reminder of his friend's betrayal.

The barman's eyes drifted to El and his jaw dropped. Before Erik could start an argument, he continued.

"It's you!"

Erik scowled. He just wanted a normal evening without any weird luminary fanboys striking up conversations with him.

 

_'How did you get your hair so soft?'_

_'Aw, aren't you handsome, and brave too!'_

 

"Yeah, even the _Luminary_  needs a drink from time to time. Leave him be." He drawled, just about managing to keep his cool, then leant his elbows on the counter.

"I'm not talkin' bout that" He replied grouchily.

"Uh, El, you know this guy?" He flipped his hand to the side and shot him a confused look.

El shook his head, equally confused.

"Yer drinks are on the 'ouse." He stated calmly, the smallest of smiles curving at the corners of his mouth.

Erik couldn't stop a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Free booze? Nice!" He pumped his fist excitedly.  
Soon after, though, his face fell.  
"Hang on... What's the catch?"

_There's no such thing as a free lunch._

Erik knew this better than anyone.

"Nuffin'. 'e did the people of Gallopolis a grand ol' favour."

Before Erik could ask what he meant by that, he addressed El.

"Is 'e your... _friend?_ " He looked Erik up and down, seemingly unimpressed.

"Uh, sort of." El scratched his head and turned away, embarrassed by the question he'd been asking himself for months being vocalised by someone else.

_Were they friends? Or something, more... complicated?_

He frowned, utterly thrown by the question.  
Erik happily filled in for a visibly flustered El.

"I mean, I guess you could describe our relationship as _friendly_ ," he grinned.  
"Like when he-"

"Two beers please." El interrupted before Erik could finish what would likely be a crude comment.

"Not sure about yer choice in _friends._ " He regarded Erik with curiousity. "Though I do like 'ow you put that spoilt brat in 'is place, so I'll get those right away."

He began to turn towards the beer barrel.

"Wait-- what did El do?" Erik asked hesitantly.

He flipped back around.

"You must be the only man in Gallopolis 'o don't know." He laughed.

"It's not my fault that he won't tell me." Erik whined, sticking his tongue out at El.

The barman chuckled.

"'e only went an' socked our beloved prince in front of an 'ole packed stadium! A true 'ero in my eyes."

"You did what?!"

Erik had to steady himself on the counter so he wouldn't fall over in shock. El _hitting someone_.  
Well not just someone, the _Prince of Gallopolis._

_What was he thinking?_

El chewed at the inside of his cheek sheepishly, eyes fixed to the ground.

"Why would you do that? So stupid, so irresponsible-- hey, and you could've at least done it when I was there!"

He crossed his arms and pouted, looking (unconvincingly) sulky.

The barman turned around once again. The sound of glasses clattering fragmented the silence.

El eventually turned to Erik, looking distinctly embarrassed.

"Isn't it obvious why I did it? He was _awful_  to you, Erik. He kept touching you, then he insulted you... I couldn't let him get away with it." Uncharacteristic anger rose in his voice. It fled as quickly as it came, though, his tone softening.  
"Also... I didn't want you to get in trouble... so that's why I let you go off by yourself. Sorry." He gave a bashful smile.

Erik was stunned.

"You did it... for me?"

"Of course I did, Erik." He smiled weakly.

"They could've thrown you in jail, dumbass! Who would save the world, then, hm?"  
He put his hand firmly on his hip and gave him a disapproving look. He quickly lowered his arm, though, and tentatively closed the gap between them.

El fiddled with his sleeve aprehensively. He knew he shouldn't have done it, but nonetheless did not regret his actions and would do it again in a heartbeat. His mother had always taught him to let go of resentment and reach out a hand of forgiveness to those who'd hurt him. However, once Erik came into the equation, that went straight out the window. No-one hurt Erik and got away with it.

Erik's expression softened as he sensed El's discomfort. He stroked his hand up his arm.

"It's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, you know." He whispered softly, his breath hot against El's cheek.

_I love you, dumbass._

Something in his eyes, and in his tone, made El's heart flutter.

Before El could figure out what this meant, Erik grasped his hair and pulled him into a passionate kiss. All air left his lungs as he gasped into the embrace. He sank into the kiss, allowing himself to get lost in the moment.

"Er-hum."

They broke apart, arms still tangled around each other, to see the barman giving them a sour look.

"What the 'ell 'appened to you two just bein' _friends_?" He asked sternly.

He pushed them their drinks.

"I'll let it slide just this once, but no more o' that." He added, slightly exasperated.

"Yes sir!" Erik pulled back from El and gave him a clumsy salute.

He narrowed his eyes at Erik before turning to El.

"Not sure a decent lad like you should be fraternisin' wiv 'is _sort._ "

"Hey, I'm right here, you know."

He leant over the bar, locking eyes with Erik.

"Look, long as your _business_ don't interfere with mine, I will tolerate your presence. I mean, if this is 'ow the boy chooses to relax, then I guess that's up to 'im." He sighed. "I would say 'e's earned 'imself a break."

He gave him another glare, which Erik shrugged off.  
El looked like he was stewing, preparing to act. Erik swiftly handed him their drinks then pulled him back to their table.  
He now knew that El was prepared to take drastic measures in his honour, and did not want him to jeopardise their evening over a small, if slightly weird, comment.

They sat on the bench; El allowed himself to fall against Erik. He noticed El looking down sadly, so he put his arm around him and stroked his back comfortingly.  
  
" _His sort_?" El wondered aloud.

"I dunno, maybe it was my accent? Funny though, coz he's clearly not from round here either, so the anti-foreigner thing is kinda hypocritical..." He suggested casually, seemingly unbothered.

El's anger began to simmer.

_If Erik's okay with it, so am I. He won't want me fighting all his battles for him._

Erik sighed and shifted down his seat, slouching comfortably.

"Doesn't matter anyway, I didn't do anything wrong so I really don't care."

"Actually... you did do one thing." El bit his lip.

"What did I do?" He pushed himself upright, suddenly alert.

"You kissed me." El pressed his fingers to his lips, which still felt hot from the memory.

"You didn't like it?" His eyes widened in concern.

"No, silly, I liked it. That's the problem..." He dropped his head to Erik's chest.  
"I just don't wanna get kicked out. He doesn't seem like the forgiving type, particularly with the way he stared at you."

"Ah, yeah... I got caught up in the moment, sorry. " He bashfully looked away.

_Gotta change subject, I don't wanna come on too strong and scare him off._

"Also, why'd you order beer? We could've gotten anything, for free, and you chose the cheapest drink!"

El lifted his head to look at him.

"I panicked because you were about to say something weird!" He glanced at Erik, who was pouting again.  
"Don't give me that look. I know what you're like."

"Whatever." He managed to down half of his drink in just a few gulps.  
"I want a play by play of exactly what happened with Faris." He beamed.

El was alarmed by how quickly he'd drank but knew better than to challenge him on it. He swigged his own, not wanting to be outdone.

"Well, you left, and he looked stupidly smug. I started with the conversational approach, trying to give him a chance to redeem himself. I told him: _'people are not objects to be bought, sold or traded'_  and that he shouldn't have treated you as such. Oh, and that he needed to respect boundaries." He took another sip.

"I'm guessing that didn't work." Erik laughed.

_You sweet, kind, naïve boy._

"Well, yeah. He just huffed and then made a... _degrading_  comment about you, so I punched him."

"What did he say?" Erik inquired. He was curious as to what could've caused El to act so impulsively.

"I don't wanna repeat it." He replied solemnly.

"Hey, I wanna know what made you risk getting locked up!" He insisted.

El frowned deeply.

"Trust me, I've probably had worse said to my face."  
  
He knew Erik wouldn't give up, so relented and took a long drink from his glass.

"He... said that you... were... _'just a criminal'_ so it didn't matter." El grimaced. "And then..." He hesitated.

"Then..." Erik repeated.

"He asked if I'd ' _had a go on you'._ " He shivered.

Erik squeezed his arm gently.

"Well he's got a point, no-one really gives a shit about what happens to criminals. Most people think that we, er, _they_ , deserve to be abused." He smiled sadly.

El's face fell.

_Lighten it up Erik, don't make him regret telling you._

"Also, he better not be having fantasies about us, or I swear, I will kick his ass."

He cracked his knuckles jokingly then gave a nervous laugh.

"So did he hit you back? Is that why..." He gestured to El's face.

El took another sip then set his drink down.

"Actually, no, he handled it pretty well. It was the guards who grabbed me then shoved me in front of the Sultan."

Erik took a big gulp from his glass.

"Well, shit! How did you get away?" He leant closer. "Are you on the run?" His eyes lit up.

"No, silly. If I was, I wouldn't endanger you by taking you out with me." He smiled softly.  
"The weirdest part was that Faris defended me, saying that he'd 'dishonoured' me and I was well within my rights to hit him."

Erik's mouth fell open, shocked at Faris' defense of him and strangely disappointed he hadn't made some daring escape.

_El's safe, that's the most important thing._

"After that, the Sultan laughed, said 'boys will be boys' and they let me go. Though, if I do it again, they _will_  imprison me."

"Did you get a bump on the head? Because there's no way..." He began, incredulous.

"No, honestly! It's nuts, but they just let me go. And I think Faris is genuinely sorry."

"Oh El. People don't change. He's probably just trying to keep you on side in case there's another big scary monster that needs fighting." 

"That's not true, you've changed! When I first met you, you seemed like you'd given up on the world, and had no regard for your own safety... But now, I like to think that you care about yourself a little more."

He reached out to stroke his cheek. Erik's mouth hung open.

"And you're starting to see the good in people. I mean, those traits were always there, like when you rescued a certain hapless country bumpkin from jail. But before-- you wouldn't let yourself feel those things, coz of how badly people had treated you in the past. You've changed, a lot."

El slid his hand from his cheek and onto his shoulder.

Erik was taken aback by El's heartfelt words and didn't know what to do with himself. No-one had ever complimented his personality before, and it felt strange. Good, but strange.

_Every good part of myself I owe to you._

He finished the rest of his drink as El did the same. He smiled at El fondly, eyes close to watering.

"You want another drink?" El asked softly.

He nodded, still unable to speak.

El took his hand and they walked back over to the bar in a comfortable silence.

"I've gotta go toilet. You order whatever you want, but don't push it." El playfully poked his chest.

"So not whatever I want?" He put his hand on his hip, and gave him a wry smile.

"Basically, yeah." El laughed and then headed in the direction of the bathroom.

_There he goes. The boy I love._

Erik sighed, feeling a heat rising in his chest. He turned to face the bar, well aware of the soppy look on his face.

"Excuse me-"

"Wait a bleedin' minute, I'm busy." The barman said roughly.

Erik could see he was, in fact, reading a magazine. _The Ogler's Digest_ , he noted.

_Pervert._

"Charming." He muttered under his breath.

Despite the cool temperature of the desert night, and the slightness of his swindler's clothes, he felt distinctly hot and sticky. El had a way of making him feel hot under the collar.

_'You're starting to see the good in people.'_

He put his elbows on the bar and rested his head in his heads, trying to control his overwhelming emotions.

The barman was taking his time, slowly flicking through the pages. Erik reckoned it must _suck_  having to deal with drunk people on a daily basis, but didn't really understand why he was acting so grumpy.

_'Long as your business don't interfere with mine I will tolerate your presence.'_

Now Erik thought about, that was definitely a weird insult.

"How much?"

Erik spun around. A man, probably in his mid-thirties, stood before him. Not bad looking, he noted, maybe in the past he would've been interested. But this was now, and he didn't feel like chatting to strangers.

"Can I help you?" He frowned.

"For the hour?"

_Oh fuck._

His stomach dropped.

"Woah, woah woah. I'm not a..." He waved his hands.

"What, dressed like that?" He looked at him disbelievingly.

He crossed his arms protectively, giving his best glare.

"Am I not allowed to wear what I want, without people thinking, y'know..?"

The barman was really taking his time.

"Oh, so you're just easy, then?" He raised an eyebrow.

Erik pushed his back against the bar, retreating.

"The fuck- no, no I'm not!" He said firmly, standing his ground.

"Why are you at the bar by yourself then, huh? You're just asking for trouble."

He laughed. It wasn't predatory, and he hadn't moved any closer, nonetheless, Erik felt uneasy. He could tell the barman wasn't going to intervene, so he had to just hold out until El came back.

"I'm waiting for a friend."

He glanced out of the corner of his eye, hoping to catch sight of El.

_Damn, nothing._

"A friend, huh? Is this _friend_  someone who pays for your company?"

_Aw, geez. This guy really was persistent._

"No," Erik panicked, grasping for a way out of the uncomfortable situation. "He's-- he's my boyfriend."

_I wish._

He laughed again.

"Imaginary, by any chance?"

Erik closed his eyes and inhaled sharply.

_Why am I so damn scared? He's probably not going to do anything. I just need to relax and-_

El emerged from the bathroom, immediately seeing Erik leaning away from a strange man. He strode over.

The man eyed him with curiousity, startled by his sudden appearance.

"So, you're the _boyfriend?_ "

Erik opened his eyes and looked at him nervously. _Sorry_  he mouthed.

"Yeah, is there a problem?" He replied, unfazed.

He slid his arm around Erik and pulled him close. His other hand touched the hilt of his sword while he locked eyes with the man.

"I see... Well, enjoy the rest of your night." He quickly turned and left.

"What was that all about?" El looked at Erik in concern, who was shaking slightly against him.

"Uhh, j-just me overreacting."

He was too ashamed to admit what had just happened. He was also furious at himself for freezing and having to rely on El to save him.

_If I'd just told him to go away, he probably would've. Fucking coward._

"Erik, are you okay?"

He closed his eyes and shuddered.

"Someone fought yer friend over 'ere was a prostitute."

El gasped. He turned to see the barman back at his station, looking at him strangely.

"I shouldn't have left you on your own! Oh, Erik."

He squeezed him into a tight hug and stroked his hair gently. Erik softened against him, the tension leaving his body as his breathing slowed. El pulled away slowly, not wanting to overwhelm him.

"Why didn't you intervene?" Erik piped up, voice shaking. He pointed at the barman accusingly.  
"Too busy with your pervy magazine, huh?"

"Well, I fought you was one too." He said flatly. "Shouldn't wear stuff like that if ya don't want people makin' assumptions."

Erik clenched his fist.  
"But I came here, with him?! I mean, look at him."

"Takes all sorts. S'not my position to judge." He shrugged dismissively.  
  
"Well you judged me pretty harshly." He grumbled, low enough that only El could hear.

"What drink do you want?" El asked softly, lightly touching his arm.

"A big, fuck-off pitcher."

He drew him even closer, afraid of further unwanted attention, moving behind Erik and wrapping his arms around him tightly. He glanced around anxiously.

"Is there somewhere more private we can sit? If Erik is giving off... a certain impression, I'd like to keep him away from all the drunk men."

The barman sighed.

"Back room. But, I 'ave to warn ya: any funny business and yer both out, you 'ear?"

"Of course." El replied politely.

"No fucking in the back room, got it." Erik added unhelpfully, evidently in a bad mood.

El groaned.

"Ignore him, don't worry we'll be responsible."

The barman tutted.

"Hm. 'ead that way n' turn left. I'll bring yer drink through when it's done."

He looked to Erik.

"I've got my eye on you."

Erik was vacantly staring at the wall, clearly not listening.

"Thanks." El filled in and then carefully unwrapped his arms, taking Erik's hand in his. They began to make their way around the back.

"You've been fighting off creeps all day for me. Sorry..." Erik eventually sighed.

"You can't really help being so cute." El kissed his cheek sweetly.

Erik's face held the same empty expression.

"Hm, sometimes I wish I wasn't. I'm sick of people thinking I'm just there for their viewing pleasure."

El was lost for words. He just wanted to hold him, but was now worried Erik would think he only wanted him _physically_. His anxiety-driven thoughts were interrupted by a bright, cheery voice.

"Hey there!"

He looked up to see the source of the voice, a scantily clad bunny girl. She leant over, flashing her perfect smile.

"Can I interest you gentlemen-"

"You're barking up the wrong tree, sorry." Erik quickly interrupted, lifting up their interlocked hands.

"I see! That's a shame! What a cute couple you make. Have a good night, you two."

That wasn't the first time someone had said that, Erik recalled. The man at Signor Universo had called them a ' _handsome pair'._

"Wait, here." Erik reached into his pocket and gave her a handful of coins. "Take the rest of the night off."

"Are you sure, hon?"

"Look, I know this kinda work sucks." He gave her a quick nod of understanding.

"Thank you, sweetie."

She gleefully blew them a kiss then left.

El had to restrain himself from launching himself at Erik. Simple acts of kindness like this just made his heart melt and his knees feel weak.

"Well I certainly don't see you that way."

"Hm?"

"As an object. I just wish everyone else saw what I saw when I look at you... A kind, wonderful, sweet boy."

He squeezed his hand.

"Though, I've gotta admit, I'm not _entirely_  guiltless myself. Sometimes when I look at you I get _bad thoughts._ "

Erik pushed down the door handle they'd finally reached and stepped inside. This room was even fancier than the others. He reckoned it was used for bookings and events.

_Wait, bad thoughts?_

He did a double take.

"What kinda things do you think about?"

He sank down onto the plush seat, a smirk plastered across his face.

El took a seat next to him. He was blushing furiously.

"Things that I shouldn't be..."

"That's not an answer." He traced his hand down El's back.

"Just, um, you and me, uhhh..." He quickly buried his face in Erik's shoulder.

"You and me? Mm, there's plenty of time for that later..."

He shifted his arm up his tunic, touching bare skin.

The intimate moment was quickly shattered by the swing of the door and the barman entering with two pitchers.

He speedily withdrew his hand and El shot back.

"My sincere apologies for the misunderstandin'. I get why you two didn't wanna say you was together." He nodded and promptly left.

Erik looked to El, who was smiling to himself.

"Whatcha thinking about? More _bad thoughts?_ " He teased.

"No--" His face was salmon pink. "Just you calling me your boyfriend." He looked up at Erik sweetly.

"Uh, y-yeah, sorry about that. I didn't know how to get him to go away." He visibly cringed.

"I don't mind. I liked it." A mischievous smile spread across his face.

"You did?"

"Uh-huh."

He reached up to hold Erik's face calmly then leant to kiss him.

Erik pulled back almost immediately.

"But he said-"

"Since when did you care about rules?" He furrowed his brow.

"Fair point."

It was Erik's turn to pull him in for more desperate, heated kisses. His hand slipped back up the tunic causing El to gasp into his mouth. The interaction was getting getting more rough, more passionate by the second. El had a fistful of Erik's hair in one hand while the other grasped at his body. Erik was impressed by how good El was at this, considering he'd had no other experience. In fact, he seemed to know _exactly_  what he was doing. A burning desire ignited inside him.

El broke away, much to Erik's dismay. He then shifted himself onto his lap.

Both were panting heavily.

"Maybe we should pace ourselves..." El mumbled.

"Yeah." He replied, his face now equally red as El's.

This went completely against everything his body was telling him, but he had to respect El's boundaries. His happiness came above all else. He wanted to treat El better than he was ever treated, which, admittedly, was a very low bar.

El flopped his head onto Erik's shoulder and traced his hands underneath his cape and up his bare back, hands fiddling with the straps of his breastplate.

"You don't know how much you mean to me... I really don't want you to feel like this is just a physical thing, or it's just happening because of how much I'm attracted to you, so... we don't have to do anything tonight. I'm happy like this." He sighed contentedly.

Erik ruffled El's hair affectionately.

"Aw, El. It's okay to be scared, y'know. I'm also cool with not doing anything, I don't want to rush you into anything. But don't abstain on my account, though. I'm down for whatever."

"No, no, it's not that. Well, maybe a little, but I trust you. I know you'll look after me. I just don't want you to feel... objectified."

"Oh, Elly! I know you're not like that." He gently pushed El's face up. "Besides, I might need a helping hand in _certain areas_  since this one is out of action again."

He lifted his bandaged left hand with a smirk.

"You're gross!" He giggled, then planted a kiss on his mouth.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone has a great day, stay hydrated, be lovely to eachother and make sure u eat properly!!


	4. The Frog Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \--  
>  _Prince fuckin' Faris- AKA Erdrea's number one cockblock._
> 
> El's eyes snapped open.
> 
> "Care to explain what you were doing, my friend?" He folded his arms over his chest and cocked his head to the side.
> 
> "Uhhh, I dropped somethin' and I was pickin' it up. Yeah, I was pickin' somethin' up." He gave a nervous smile.
> 
> "You dropped something... between his legs?" The disbelief in his voice was very apparent.  
> \--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, I wrote my first ever fanfic for this fandom just last month and honestly, I love it here. I used to be that anon who gave kudos here and there, and somehow I ended up here, writing this trash, inspired by all the amazing stuff I'd read!  
> So, I implore you, write! Give it a go! If you're already a writer who's currently on hiatus, go on my son, get back in there, you can do it! I've never seen a bad comment in this fandom, so honestly, it's is the best place to start (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
> 
> (Also- 10 points to whoever realises which bit of writing this made me a little sick in my mouth...)

"Y'alright there? Woaaah careful..!"

Erik and El hit the ground with a thud. They couldn't contain themselves any longer and fell about laughing. Erik's vision swam as his head hit the cubicle door, hard.

"Ya _really_  had to pull me onto the pish, huh?"

"Shuddup. You love it."

_I love you, I love you..._

Most of his inhibitions had gone along with the last bottle of wine, but he still couldn't bring himself to say those three simple words.

"You're right- there's nothin' I love more than rolling around in pish."

This was too much for El, who descended into giggles once again.

"Shhhhh." He put a hand over his mouth. "You're gonna get us _knocked out._ "

El made some incomprehensible noises, his words muffled by Erik's hand. Erik kissed the hand over his mouth, which El greedily tore away to allow their lips to meet. In his eagerness to push their mouths together, their teeth clanged uncomfortably.

"Oww..." Erik thought he could taste blood.

El smiled awkwardly before noticing Erik was sitting on his bandaged left hand.

"Erik! Wha' about your poorly 'and?"

He lifted it up and planted a gentle kiss over the bandage, causing Erik to smile goofily.

Suddenly the main door swung open. Erik clamped his hand back over El's mouth then frowned.

"Open up." The gruff voice of the barman came from outside the door.

El and Erik exchanged a look.

"You wanna come in the cubicle with me? Sorry babe, but you're not really my type."

El burst out laughing and Erik narrowed his eyes at him, doing his best to conceal the smirk spreading across his face. El responded by pulling his hand away again and sticking his tongue out.

A harsh knock reverberated through the cubicle.

"I know yer both in there. Come out 'ere before I call the royal guard."

Erik rolled his eyes and shakily stood up, pulling El up after him. He slid the bolt and opened the door to a glowering barman.

"Out." He gestured to the door. "You're both barred."

"Looshen up, man. We were jus' kiddin' around..." He swayed on his feet.

The barman glared at him.

"So this is wot I get for showin' a bit o' generosity..." He put a hand to his head and sighed.

Erik feigned an exaggerated yawn.

"C'mon El, le's go!" He walked forward and pushed at the door. "Oh, n' fuck you, Derk." He stuck up his middle finger then strode out the door, dragging a giggling El behind him.

Once they reached the cool air outside they began laughing manically and fell against the wall.

"Did you see his face Erik? 'e was _mad,_ mad..."

"Yeah," he grinned. "High five partner!"

They reached up to meet hands, but completely missed and ending up bumping heads. They quickly slouched back against the wall as if nothing had happened.

"So... Derk was your partner 'fore me."

"Uh huh." He replied, only half-listening.

Erik was gazing at the stars, his eyes fixated on the twinkling lights. Whatever happened, they would always be there. It had been a great comfort to him, as bad as things had got, even when he'd had nothing to his name and no-one who cared, he'd always had the stars.  
Well, nearly always.  
His many months in Heliodor dungeons had left him hollow, deprived of the one constant in his life.  
He promised to never take the stars, _his freedom,_  for granted again.  
  
"You n' Derk ever... frien'ly?"

_El's talking, oh shit, I should be listening. What'd he say? Something about Derk?_

"Hm?" He replied lazily, absent-mindedly picking out constellations in his head.

"You... n' Derk..?"

"Errr, oh!"

His eyes darted to meet El's and he snorted.

"Aw, fuck no! Who put that idea in your head?!" He ran a hand through his hair and winced. "But..."

"But wha'?" El looked intrigued.

"Well, there was one time but we... we don't talk 'bout it."

"One time?!" His eyes widened. "Wha' you talking 'bout?"

"Ugh."

El nudged his shoulder insistently, almost causing them to both to topple over.

"Fineee." He wrinkled his nose. "After a night out, we sorta woke up in the same bed, er, kinda naked..." He anxiously bit his finger. "To this very day, I shtill have no clue what happened..." He shrugged.

El sniggered then once again descended into laughter. He grabbed Erik's arm to steady himself then tried to meet his gaze.

"How'd you even-" He managed between laughs before doubling over.

"We were celebratin' a big gain, we drank a bit and maybe, _accidentally_  had weird-y friend sex??" He flipped his hand to the side.

"Erikkk! You're unbelievable." El shook him by the shoulders.

"Why thank you." He attempted a bow. El had to hold him up by his arms when he pitched forward.

"S'not a compil-iliment. How can you _accidentally_  'ave sex with someone? I can't even do tha' on purpose."

"Oh yeah?"

He clumsily tugged down El's collar and began kissing his neck, grazing the tender skin ever-so-slightly with his teeth. For a brief moment, El's eyes rolled into the back of his head- before he snapped back to reality.

"Stooop, we need to go back to the inn!" He giggled.

Erik lifted his head.

"Oh, keen are we?"

"Shuddup."

"Oh, so you don't wanna? Sh'okay, I'll go back inside and find that guy who-"

He was interrupted by El's hand on his face, in what he assumed was supposed to be a slap. However, it'd come out as more of a pat.  
El admitted defeat and let his hand linger there to cup Erik's chin.

"Don't be a bitch."

Erik grinned.

"Harder." He said, deadpan.

El giggled.

"I _hate_  you."

"Sure you do. C'mon, me's got an idea!"

 

* * *

 

"Here we are. Home, shweet, home."

"A skanky alleyway?" El raised an eyebrow.

The walls were lined by colourful lanterns, their soft glow gently illuminating the grimy floor. If it wasn't for the sandy buildings, El thought, they may as well be in Phnom Nonh.

"Sh'where all the best stuff happens." Erik said smugly, looking all too pleased with himself in El's opinion. El wanted to wipe that smile off his face and replace it with something more... vulnerable. He smiled to himself.

"Wha', like, drug deals and muggin's?"

"I'm surprished you even know what drugs are. We both remember you sayin' _weeds_."

"Fuck you!" El prodded his face.  
  
"Your wish is my command."

Erik pinned him against the wall then crushed their mouths together. El sighed as he surrendered himself to Erik's touch, which roamed gently over his body. He pulled back far too quickly, to El's dismay, though their faces were only inches apart. El traced his hand over his face lightly, feeling every bump and curve under his fingertips.

"You wanna try somethin'?" Erik's gaze flickered over El's face excitedly.

"Yeah!"

"Mm-kay."

He rubbed his crotch approvingly then sighed.

"Already?" Erik shot him an amused look.

"Shut-- up- nghh..."

Erik laughed and withdrew his hand. He gave the flustered El a quick, final kiss before dropping to his knees.

"What're you doing?" El looked down, confusion apparent on his face.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"

"Errr..." It took a second before the realisation flashed across his face. His jaw dropped. "Here!? Wha' if we get caugh'?"

"Isn't that the fun of it? Gotta live on the edge."

"But... _jail_?" El frowned, looking genuinely concerned.  
  
"We could have kinky jail sex."

El snorted.

"Is tha' a promise?"

"'Course." He winked. "Can I..." He tugged impatiently at his trousers.

"Yeah-" It came out as a sigh. His eyes fluttered shut.

His trousers quickly fell about his ankles. Erik had his thumb under the waistband of his pants when-

"Well, well, well."

"Oh _fuck!_ "

He hastily pulled El's trousers up and bolted to standing position, brushing the dust off of his knees.

_Prince fuckin' Faris- AKA Erdrea's number one cockblock._

El's eyes snapped open.

"Care to explain what you were doing, my friend?" He folded his arms over his chest and cocked his head to the side.  
  
"Uhhh, I dropped somethin' and I was pickin' it up. Yeah, I was pickin' somethin' up." He gave a nervous smile.  
  
"You dropped something... between his legs?" The disbelief in his voice was very apparent.

El shot him a look.

"Oh, fine. Ya got me! Issa free country, you know? You're just mad I'm not gettin' on my knees for _you._ "

"No, it is not! Such acts in public are illegal! I will let that last comment pass, as you are very, very drunk." He brought a palm to his face, clearly exasperated. "Please, Erik, consider your next words carefully, I could have you imprisoned on the spot."

"Oh, you'd like that, _wouldn't you_. Keep me as your little pet-"

The prince stepped closer, evidently unimpressed, allowing the warm light of the lanterns to spill over him.

"Woah, your face!" Erik gasped.  
  
The skin around his left eye was dark purple, mottled with patches of black and red. He looked much worse off than El, whose injuries looked like mere scrapes compared to what had happened to his face. El must've hit him _hard_. It was kinda hot.

_He did that- for me._

"You have your friend to thank for that.  He is extremely protective of you. I'm not entirely sure why..."

El stepped forward.

"Coz Erik is important! The most importantest person in the whole wide world!"

"Aww, thanks man." He gave El a heartfelt look, genuinely touched by the garbled compliment.

Faris groaned.

"Just go, before the night patrol see you."

"You're jus' gonna let us go?"

_No fuckin' way._

"Yes, now go! ...before I change my mind. If they see you with me, I'll have to hand you over, okay? I can't be seen letting you two go when it's so  _obvious_  you're up to something..." he gestured with his hand, "... _nefarious_. I have to show my men that I am a just, and noble desert knight, worthy of protecting Gallopolis-"

"Will you shut up! I can hear somethin'."

Erik caught a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye.

_Fuck._

They were doomed.

He really did not want to spend the night in the palace dungeons. But he knew that it'd be impossible for him and El outrun the guards in their compromised state. And Faris was going to hand them over if he did nothing. He grimaced. There was only one thing for it. He glanced from Faris to El and took a deep breath.

"Sorry El."

"Hm?"

_Forgive me._

He pulled Faris towards him, sandwiching himself between the wall and the prince. He squashed their  mouths together and parted his lips. It felt gross- like kissing a slimy toad. Erik began to wonder if those stories about frogs turning into princes were really true, and that Faris just hadn't undergone the transformation yet.  
The worst part was not, however, the physical sensation, but how much Faris seemed to be enjoying himself, his hand stroking his thigh as he grinned against Erik's mouth. He gasped under his touch, giving the prince exactly what he wanted.

El was appalled. A mix of disgust, despair and outrage twisted in his gut, causing him to clamp a hand to his stomach in an attempt to numb the pain.

_We shouldn't have got this drunk. This is all my fault._

"Your majesty- are you alright?" The head of the guard panted, having finally reached them. He was flanked by a handful of knights.

Faris hastily pulled back. Erik's hands remained threaded in his hair.

_Keep him interested until they go- it can't be too long..._

"Y-yes." He gaped at Erik, face flushed.

The knight looked seriously awkward, clearly not wanting to address what he'd just seen.

Erik didn't dare look at El.

The knight cleared his throat, then gestured in El's direction.

"Your highness, isn't that the boy who assaulted you earlier? Would you like us to place him under arrest?"

Faris was too busy staring at Erik to respond. Erik rolled his eyes and yanked his hair in an attempt to get him to reply.

He twisted his head painfully to the side.

"Oh, ha, ha! Yes- I mean, no! We're fine." His eyes flitted between Erik and the knight.

"Please forgive me, your majesty, but may I ask what you're doing with him and that- that _criminal_? I promised your father I would protect you." He bowed his head solemnly.

"Errr..." He turned to face Erik again.

_Fuckwit prince. Do I have to do everything for you?_

"I prefer the term _handsome rogue_  n' we're kinda in the middle of somethin'." He bit his lip and glanced back to Faris, who looked distinctly embarrassed.

"Your majesty, are you quite sure..?"

Faris looked like he couldn't breathe.

"Ha, ha, ha. He's, er, we..."

Erik leant forward began kissing his neck, causing Faris to nearly fall over. He groaned.

"I see. Again, forgive me, your highness, but I'm not sure you should be getting involved in such... arrangements."

He glanced at the dishelleved El, whose trousers still weren't properly done up, then at Erik, who was looking at Faris intently.

_When will this guy quit it? I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up..._

Erik leant in further and whispered something in Faris' ear. Whatever it was, El noticed that it caused him to blush profusely. Erik drew back to stroke his face then pouted.

"Your majesty..?'

El thought he might be sick. Erik was really good at faking it, _scarily good_. Anyone else would think he really wanted that pervy prince.

"Please, just go! And do not tell my father!"

"Of course, your highness. We understand this is a... sensitive issue." He bowed his head politely. Him and his men shuffled uncomfortably, some mumuring amongst themselves, before turning and leaving.

"Mm, well I was _not_  expecting that." Faris giggled, reaching out a hand to pull Erik closer.

Erik caught him by his wrist and shoved him away.

"Don't _touch me._ "

"Huh?" He mouthed, sounding confused and mildly hurt.

Erik clumsily ducked under his arm and stepped away from him, spitting loudly onto the ground. He wiped his mouth vigorously, his face ridden with disgust.

"Ugh. That was close."

He glanced over to El, who looked utterly broken.

"Sorry baby. I'll make it up to you, I swear." He walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.

 _Baby._  El felt giddy.

"You've done tha' before, 'aven't you?"

El understood _why_  he did it: it made sense as a survival strategy, kissing someone you didn't want to was much better than a night in prison. Though El guessed that it wasn't always just a kiss that was needed.

"Not with him." He swiftly dodged the question, and El's concerned gaze, turning to Faris.  
"Also you, you're shit at kissin'. Sh'like bein' attacked by a wet dog."

"Hmph, well other people have said I'm pretty good." He folded his arms over his chest and lifted his chin indignantly.  
  
"Well they would, wouldn't they? With, not wantin' to get executed n' all."

"You think I just go around executing people for fun?"

"Wouldn't surprise me."

"Well you're giving me good reason to right now!"

"I dare-"

He was stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Stop it, Erikkk! 'e could still chuck us in the dungeons, y'know?" He leant his forehead against Erik's.  
  
"Mm, true." He sighed. "Sorry, again."

"S'okay, s'not your fault."

"Kinda is."

El shook his head then cupped Erik's cheek. He gently brought their mouths together in a soft embrace.  
  
"What am I gonna do with you, eh?" He pressed his thumb against Erik's cheek.

"Whatever. You. Want."

El giggled sweetly, the kind of laugh that turned Erik's insides to jelly. Erik was about to kiss him again when he caught Faris staring.

"'fore you ask, no, you can't join in."

He looked faintly disappointed.

"So you embarrassed me in front of my men, who I see _every day,_  for nothing? What are they going to think of me now, hm, having been caught with two young men in this _dirty_  alleyway?"

"I dunno, that you're a bit of a legend." Erik sniggered.

Faris was not amused; his frown deepened.

"Also, I saved your ass, at a great personal cosht. So, for once in your life, be fuckin' grateful."

"Grateful!? You used me!"

_Ha, not so nice when the shoe's on the other foot, eh, Faris?_

"You like me too much to throw me in the dungeons, so you woulda looked weak in front of them- _if_ I hadn't shtepped in."

Faris stomped his foot.

"Hmph. You're lucky you're pretty otherwise you wouldn't be able to get away with half of the stuff you say!"

"Don't I know it."  He smirked.

"Erikkk."

He turned his head to see a _very_  cute-looking El.

"Yeah?"

"Le's go to the inn."

"Sure, hon. That way we won't have Prince Creepy watchin' us make out."

"I wasn't-" he cleared his throat. "Allow me escort you to the inn."

"Uh, no thanks."

"Look at yourself. You can barely stand." He scoffed.

"I'm fine! Jus' piss off!" He stumbled and El caught him, just before he hit the paving stones.  
  
"Let him help, Erik."

"But I don't wanna be _accidentally_  escorted into his bed."

"Stop being ridiculous, I'm not trying to do anything of the sort."

"Coulda fooled me."

Suddenly, there was a resounding _smack._

Erik turned back to face El, eyes like saucers.

"Did you just slap my-"

"Behave." He gave Erik a weirdly intense look.

"That's the second time you've hit me tonight." He smirked.

"Coz you're being naughty." He looped his arms around Erik's neck.

"Oh am I?"

Faris rolled his eyes.

"Stop flirting and start walking!"

 

* * *

 

"A room for my two friends here!" Faris proclaimed to the bored-looking inn keeper.

Erik heard the distinctive clatter of coins on the desk.

_We can afford 20 gold for the inn, dumbass. How poor d'ya think we are?_

He just about managed to keep his mouth shut, purely for El's sake.

"Go to bed, you two. Enjoy the hangover. You can thank me in the morning- if you even remember- ha, ha, ha!"

He waved goodbye then walked out, much to Erik's surprise.

_He isn't gonna try jump in bed with us? Interesting. I may have misjudged you, Prince Creepy._

"Why are there so many steppies?" El whined.

"Steppies?"

"Yeah, steppies. Many steppies."

Erik stifled a laugh.

_Why have you gotta be so damn cute!_

It made his heart _hurt._

"You don't think you can walk 'em?"

"Erm..." He looked down sadly.

Erik wrapped his hands around El's legs and hauled him over his shoulder.

"Hey! Pu' me down!"

"Shh, you. You'll wake the whole neighbourhood."

Erik grasped the railing and slowly clambered up the stairs, panting the whole way up.

"He say second or third from the left?"

"I dunno, I can't even see!"

El kicked his legs feebly.

Erik sighed.

"This one?"

He gingerly nudged the door open, only to see Jade and Serena, lying on top of each other, _kissing._  He caught Jade's eye, she looked furious.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry I- don't kick me!" He stammered.

Her glare grew ever more intense.

He swiftly shut the door.

"O-kay, not that one..."

"What'd ya see?"

" _Lesbians._ "

El gasped, as if Erik had just said a very rude word.

"What were they doin'?"  
  
"Lesbian stuff." He sighed. "It's gotta be this one, right?" He tentatively nudged the door open, and, to his relief, saw an empty room. "Not bad." He nodded, immensely pleased with himself.  
He closed the door behind them, a little too enthusiastically, then dropped El onto the bed. He promptly flopped on top of him.

"You 'kay with me-"

He was silenced by El swiftly pushing their mouths together. He parted his lips, allowing El to eagerly push his tongue in.

_This couldn't be real- no way-_

El's hands were on him, sliding up and down his back, occasionally teasing at the top of his trousers.

Erik pulled back to drink him in.

_Holy fucking Yggdrasil! El looked so... bad. A mess, a hot one at that. His once smooth hair was now rumpled and his cheeks glowing fiercely. It was almost too much._

He speedily undid his collar and began nipping, then sucking, at his neck. El moaned and gasped, sending shivers of pleasure through Erik's body.

" _Erik-_ "

_Shit, that felt good. No-one had ever called out his name like that before._

"Can I take this off?" He stroked the overcoat.

"Only if I can take this off of you..." He tugged at the straps of his breastplate.

Erik grinned.

In a blinding moment, Erik tore off his duster while El removed his armour and cape, leaving them both breathless.

"This too?" He tugged at the undershirt.

El nodded impatiently.

Erik smirked, pulling off the final layer that had kept their skin from being in contact. They were now chest to chest.

"Wanna resume what we had earlier, _partner_?"

El nodded again, clearly speechless.

Erik's allowed his mouth to explore El's chest, voraciously planting kisses all the way, teasingly finishing at his waistline. This elicited a moan from El, who tugged at Erik's hair in delight.

Erik poked his head up a little.

"Uh, trousers?"

"Yesss..."

He slipped them off easily enough, despite his damaged hand, which he could barely feel in his inebriated state. He shifted his attention to El's thighs, kissing his way up to his desired destination. He experimented with nipping a little harder, El seemed to like that, mouth passionately moving over the soft flesh. El writhed underneath him.

" _Erik._ " His name came out as a whisper, a plea. He dug his hands further into Erik's hair, grip growing tighter.

It was _exhilarating_ , the tingle of pain in his scalp combined with El's _longing_. It sent him into overdrive. He stuck his fingers under the remaining waistband.

"Can I-?

"You- you don't have to ask for- for _every_  item of clothing--" He panted.

Erik lifted his head up and smiled sheepishly.

Now wasn't the time to explain why he was being so careful, El was enjoying himself, it didn't matter. He didn't need to know about Erik's past troubles in this area- i.e boundaries being blatantly ignored.

He moved back down and slowly removed his pants, fingers brushing delicately across sensitive flesh. He slid his hand around El's cock, thumbing it gently. El twitched at his touch, much to Erik's glee. He was about to lower his head further when-

"Wait, stop!"  The strained sound made its way out of El's mouth, much to his own surprise.

Erik lifted his head once again.

"You okay?" He furrowed his brow.

_But I've been so careful... Oh goddess, what have I done?_

"Jus' feels wrong... like you're- you're servicing me."

Erik frowned.

"Sh'cool, I'm very happy to-"

"Erik, no! Your head belongs up here, with me. I want to be able to see your face."

_Well, that was new._

"Okay..."

He slid himself back up and propped himself on his elbows to look at El, whose expression was almost unreadable.

He gazed at him, bewildered.

_What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

"Why don't we do something that benefits both of us?" El offered gently.  
  
"Sure, if that's what you want."

"No, Erik. I wanna know what you want!"

"To please you."

El shook his head in disbelief. He didn't want to be served, he wanted to be _fucked._  
_That's it!_  
He grinned, there _was_  a way to stop Erik from being subservient.

Erik was looking at him expectantly, waiting for his next orders.

"I want to give myself over to you, Erik. I want you to _fuck me._  Would you like that?"

Such vulgar words didn't suit El's pretty face. Erik was in awe. He was sure he'd had a dream like this before. A very bad dream.

"S-sure." He was seriously shaken, aroused, but shaken. Any excitement he felt was riddled with guilt, though. He was supposed to be showing El a good time, not pleasuring himself.

 _Could sex really be enjoyable from underneath?_  
  
"Good."  El pulled his head towards him and joined their lips together with a sigh.

"If at any time you want me to stop..." He mumbled against El's mouth.

"Shhh." He pressed them back together.

He could feel El's hands wandering further down, caressing him softly. One slipped between them and grazed his dick, causing him to clench his thighs.  
El shifted his hands back up to Erik's waistbands and, in a flash, pulled both garments down. Erik gasped at his assertiveness, and was suddenly painfully aware that he was _naked_ , lying on top of another boy, who was also _naked_. Not just any boy- the Luminary, El, _his El._  
While he was lost in thought, El had slipped his legs from underneath Erik and wrapped them around his waist, clinging onto him desperately.  
Erik shot back.

"Woah- easy! We need somethin' to help things run a little smoother. Wait a sec-"

He peeled El's legs from around him and reached over to fumble through the draws of the bedside table. His hand came across a small bottle, he turned it over into the lamplight. He'd seen enough bottles like this to know exactly what it was: massage oil. Erik, grimaced, dreading to think about the kinds of things that had happened in this room. Or what may be about to happen now.

_Shit, I'm scared._

He pushed back onto his knees and shakily unscrewed the lid. He looked to El, who was lying back on the bed, red-faced, panting and most importantly: completely nude.

It was too much.

There was oil everywhere. The bottle must've slipped out of his hand while he was gawping.

_Damn!_

El laughed then pushed up on his elbows, eyeing an incredibly mortified Erik.

"For someone who's _supposedly_  done this a lot, you're acting pretty awkward. Anyone would think it's your first time, no' mine!"

El waited for a quip back, but was greeted with silence. He grew worried.

"Wha's wrong?" He forced himself into sitting position.  
  
"I don't think I can do this, El." He looked down glumly.  
  
"Aw, c'mere."

Erik shuffled over, feeling uncomfortable grease all over his legs. El gently kissed his mouth.

"You okay?" He held his jaw softly.

"I'm jus' worried... 'bout hurtin' you n' stuff." He quietly admitted.

"Don't be a silly sausage, I know you won't." He stroked his face comfortingly.

"That's what I mean. You trust me too much."

"Mm?" He smiled warmly. "You don't wanna have sex? S'okay sweetpea, we can jus' cuddle." He wrapped his arms around him affectionately.

"But I feel like I've let you down..."

"Erik, _I don't care._  Whatever we do, as long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

"Really?"

"Course! S'how you are with someone you love."

Erik nearly fell off the bed.

"You-- love-- m-me..?"

"How could I not?"

He was completely thrown.

"Errr..."

_I can't let it show that no-one's ever said that to me before. He can't know how pathetically deprived I am._

"Ahh... I guess I am pretty loveable." He brushed hair from his eyes. "I love you too."

_Did I just-_

He nestled his head comfortably in the crook of El's neck and the both sank back onto the bed. El pulled a stray blanket over both of them, neither having the energy to climb under the covers.

Tears formed in his eyes, which soon turned into gasping sniffles.

"Wha's wrong?" El traced a hand over his bare back.

"I'm just... happy."

"Awww, me too, babe." He kissed his cheek sweetly.

"Yeah... there's, um, something I gotta say." Erik mumbled against his skin.

"S'a bit too late to come out to me, Erik."

He laughed, swiping tears from his eyes.

"No, I just..." he sighed. "I've never... er, been on top before."

"Ahh. So it woulda been kinda like your first time too then, I guess?"

"Yeah..."

"Sweetheart- you should've just told me." He ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Mm."

Erik sighed happily, curling against El's warmth. For the first time in his life, he could wake up next to someone without any regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my dad is playing dqxi atm and he's well into act III yet still cannot remember the characters' names! Here is your party, according to my dad: the short girl, the dancing man, the (well-spoken) tall girl, the man with the pink (???) hair, the other tall girl (with the ponytail) and my personal favourites: _the thief man_ and _the little king guy..._


	5. Danger Juice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \--  
> "Hey Faris, why don't you come with us to investigate?" Jade suggested, trying not to break into giggles.
> 
> "Yeah, I think Erik's pretty weak from the hangover, so needs someone _big_ and _brave_ to protect him." Veronica added gleefully, a devilish glint in her eye.
> 
>  _I'm gonna fucking kill them- or at least steal something important to them. Good luck taming that hair, Jade, when your hairbrush goes missing. Oh, can't find your staff to protect yourself in battle, Veronica? What a shame._  
>  \--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so this is basically just fluff and comic relief, so prepare for silliness (¤﹏¤)

Erik awoke to an intense pounding in his head, and, _oh shit_ , arms around his waist, holding him softly. There was someone behind him. There was also a gross, slick substance all over his legs. He groaned.

_Erik you fucking idiot, who is it this time?_

His mind was too fogged by the hangover to recall anything right now, so he started to go through the options in his head. He would normally assume it was someone he didn't know, but he had a strange feeling that he knew this person well. Very well. He didn't dare open his eyes.

_Sylv? Nah he wouldn't go there again... not after I sobbed into him last time._

He immediately discounted all his female companions, knowing even when he was utterly blasted, he was still pretty damn gay.

_Who did that leave? Rab? Definitely not. Uhh, Hendrik? Oh fuck no, that'd be the worst, worse than waking up next to Derk._

He could see it now: making awkward eye contact with the knight over the breakfast table. Shuffling uncomfortably when they were next to each other in battle. Him ham-handedly patching up Erik's wounds when Serena was busy-

_Hang on... it couldn't be Hendrik, this guy's frame was way too small._

He silently thanked the Goddess above for this small mercy.

_Small statured.... Who could it be?_

He wracked his brain intensely, running through possible candidates.

_Oh... fuck._

His stomach dropped.

There was someone he knew wanted to have sex with him, someone small in stature. Someone... annoying.

_I didn't... did I?_

He grimaced. They would never let him live this down- _Veronica was gonna love this._

He planned to slip away as discreetly as possible, hoping to avoid the awkward morning after conversation. He slowly opened his eyes, noticing a modest inn room.

_Oh, so he didn't even have the decency to take me to the palace? Like I'm some kinda dirty secret..._

He gingerly lifted the covers, noticing pale arms wrapped around his torso. _Wait- that skin tone is way too pale to be Faris._ Now he was stumped. Maybe it was a stranger. He briefly allowed himself to look down again then audibly gulped.

That mark.

_No, I didn't._

His breath caught in his throat when he  heard a mild rustling behind him.

"You okay, baby?"

_I did._

Nobody else around here had that adorable farmer-like lilt to their voice.

"You're not gonna do a runner on me, are you?"

He felt a hand slip from his waist and into his hair, running fingers across his scalp. He shifted onto his other side to face him, hyper-aware of the nervous tremors running through his body. El was glowing: skin smooth, blue eyes shining brightly and soft hair rumpled. _Perfection._

"Course not."

El held his chin and kissed him delicately, causing Erik to blush softly.

"Er, what happened last night?" He ventured shakily.

"I was hoping you'd remember..."

"Oh. You feel any different?"

"Not really... should I?" He traced a thumb down Erik's cheek. "Though I am very happy to wake up next to you."

He pinched his cheeky gently and leant in to kiss him again, more passionately this time. Erik could feel his nerve endings tingling, fizzling from his head down to the tips of his toes- _particularly_  between his legs. He reckoned if they continued, he'd never be able to leave. El eagerly pushed further, shifting himself on top of him, kissing him deeply. El paused to peer down at Erik.  
  
"Slow down!" Erik laughed. "There's no rush, silly."

El giggled and lay his head on Erik's chest, sighing.

"I need a bath. My legs are all... sticky."

"Can I join?"

Erik laughed again, then noticed El was frowning.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah." He pouted. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Look, as tempting as that is, I think you need a break to cool off a little. Come on through when you've calmed down, 'kay?"

"Okay!" He nodded eagerly.

  
 

Erik sighed as he sank down into the warm water, leaving only his nose poking above the suds.

 _Goddess, El's acting frisky. It's definitely hot but still, I'm not gonna take advantage. He's probably still in the midst of puberty, raging hormones n' all. Yeah, that must be it._  
_Wait, last night, did I take advantage of him then? I should've known better than to get so drunk-_

The door creaked open and he shot above the water, seeing El walk in wearing a sheet like toga. Erik snorted.

"You look _ridiculous._ "

"Oh, so you want me to take it off?"

"Mm, not yet."

He knelt by the bath and grasped Erik's face, kissing him lightly.

"Sorry for getting overexcited. It's just... I've wanted this- you, for a while, and now that I've got you, I don't know how to act."

"Aww, that's so cute, El, honestly." He nudged their faces together, putting them nose to nose.

"Mm. You alright, sweet? You seem a bit down."

"Yeah, just feel like a bit of a dick."

"Why?"

"Our first time together was supposed to be special... but it just turned into a drunken fumble in the dark. Just like every other time..." He closed his eyes.

"But it was special, whatever we did, because we like each other, _a lot_. We have a special connection, you know." He kissed his cheek.

Erik sighed.

"I just wish I could remember something. I'm worried I could've... taken advantage of you."

"It'll come back, I swear." He swept damp hair out of his eyes. "And no, you didn't, I'm sure of it. You're not like that, Erik, in fact you're the opposite- constantly holding back to make sure I don't rush into anything too quickly, making sure I'm comfortable--"

Erik let out a shaky breath.

"Here, let me wash your hair. It's what my mum used to do for me when I was down in the dumps."

He gently tipped Erik's head back and rubbed soap onto his hands, then massaged it into his hair. Erik sighed softly.

"Feeling better yet?"

El wrapped his arms Erik's shoulders and kissed his cheek again.

"Go on, jump in."

"It's okay..."

"That wasn't a question."

"Okay!"

He eagerly unfurled himself from the sheet and bolted upright. He leapt in, causing water to splash everywhere.

"When I said jump, I didn't mean _literally_."

"Sorry." He smiled sheepishly.

"C'mere, idiot."

El leant back against him and smiled contentedly. Erik slipped his arms around his torso, holding him close to his chest. The rapid rhythm of his heartbeat thrummed against his palm.

"Stop worrying." El sighed.

"I'll do my best." His gaze flickered down below the bathwater, darting away just as quickly when he saw something he shouldn't have. "Hang on, what are those marks on your thighs?!" He stammered, despite knowing exactly what they were, and why they were there.

_I went down on him? That's not too bad._

Some of his remaining guilt fled.

"What, were you looking down there?" El teased.

"No..."

El put his hands on the edge of the bath to help steady himself before turning around, but both slipped- still being covered in soap. He fell back against Erik with a _thump._  Erik coughed heavily, then laughed.

"Slow down, partner, I'm not going anywhere. With you to the end, remember? Just relax." He stroked tousled hair from his eyes.

"Yeah... maybe we should go to breakfast, the others will be waiting."

"Just gimme five more minutes, then I'm there."

"Sure." El giggled, feeling light kisses tracing down his neck.

 

 

Hand in hand, they made their way towards the dining room. Suddenly, Jade slinked from the shadows, blocking their path.

"You," she pointed at Erik, sounding distinctly annoyed, "come here, _now_. We need to talk."

"Uh, sure. Go ahead, El, I'll be there in a sec. Oh, and save me some hash browns!"

He nodded and smiled before walking away.

Jade shoved Erik against the wall, pinning him against the brick, the sharp point of her elbow digging into his chest.

"If you dare say anything, I swear to the Goddess I'll kick you so hard-" She narrowed her eyes, emphasising the threat.  
  
He gulped.

"Woah," he croaked, the air having been forced out of his lungs, "what'd I do?"

"You know perfectly well." She pressed harder, causing him to gasp.

"I really-- don't."

"Last night, saw something you shouldn't have..." She tilted her head to the side.

"To be hon-est with you Jade, I can't remember shit-- nghh. Please, just let me go..."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Look, d-don't tell anyone, but when I woke up, I couldn't even r-remember who I'd gone to bed with." He winced, partly from the pain of her elbow jabbing into his ribs but mainly due to the shame of it.

"Really?" She smirked.

"Y-yeah, now lemme go, please."

"Fine."

She withdrew her arm and Erik collapsed to the floor, panting. She tutted, then pulled him up by his wrist.

"Go on, he's waiting."

He gave her a hurt look then unsteadily made his way towards the breakfast room.

"There y'are laddie, El was tellin' me about all the mischief ye got up to last night."

"Huh?" He swallowed harshly.

"Don't look at me like that, I was young once too, ye know."

"Haha, sorry I..." He bowed his head and anxiously scraped blunt nails across his scalp.

_How do I look at someone if I've probably had sex with their grandson?_

"Don't be daft. He's just as much to blame for gettin' kicked out of that bar. Too much of the ol' danger juice, eh?" He chuckled.

"Oh! The bar!" He let out a long breath, incredibly relieved that they hadn't been talking about his sexual endeavours at the breakfast table.

"What did you think he was talking about, honey?" Sylv smiled knowingly.

"Nothin'."

Erik clumsily flopped onto the seat next to El, feeling all eyes on him.

"Well, I'm glad you two had fun." He winked.

"Hey, don't look so smug, that was a pretty dirty trick you played on us, you know!" He shoved dry toast into his mouth, trying to find something to both settle the restlessness in his stomach and the insistent pounding in his head.  
  
"Not as dirty as some of the sounds coming out of that bedroom..." Sylv teased.

Across the table, Jade sniggered.

Erik immediately stopped mid chew, mouth full of toast.

_Of course we were loud, of course._

Him and El shared an embarrassed look.  
El reached over the table to grab the water jug, his shirt gaping as he leant forward, exposing several incriminating marks.

Sylv gasped.

"What did you do to the poor boy? He looks like he's been mauled!"

Erik choked on his mouthful of toast. Sylv was right, he looked like he'd been savaged by some wild beast. Or a drunken Erik.

_Did I really do that?_

An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Erik topped up his plate with scrambled egg and hash browns, actively avoiding the eyes boring into him, and started to greedily gulp it down.  
  
"Well, err, we better be off. Need to attend to some important business at the palace." Rab eventually suggested, breaking the awkward silence.

"Ugh." Erik groaned through a mouthful of egg.

"S'okay, if he tries anything he'll have me to answer to." El held his fist up triumphantly.

Erik eagerly swallowed his food.

"You know what? In that case, I think I'll come. I'd love to see you kick his ass again."

El laughed, looking at him fondly while reaching up to stroke a hand across his face.

"Wait a second, _again_?" Veronica exclaimed.

"Haha, yeah. Yesterday Faris was being a little creep so El punched him!" He grinned boastfully.

"Erik!" El whined.

"How romantic(!)" Veronica muttered.

"While I don't condone violence, I think that was rather noble of you, El, jeopardising your own safety to protect the dignity of someone you care about." Serena added thoughtfully.

"Wait a second, you _punched_  Prince Faris?" Jade's eyes widened.

"Yeah, kinda."

Jade reached across the table and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I've taught you well."

She drew back and gave him a thumbs up.

Erik slid his hand into El's, who gave him a mischievous look before crushing their mouths together, kissing him ferociously. His fork clattered to the ground.  
They withdrew momentarily, foreheads touching, panting heavily.

"If you insist."

Erik pulled their mouths back together, kissing him back with equal passion.

Hendrik cleared his throat, evidently uncomfortable with their display of affection.

"Some of us are trying to eat here!" Veronica slammed her hand onto the table.

He stuck his finger up and grinned against El's mouth, delighted in having been granted the opportunity to simultaneously annoy her _and_  kiss El. Maybe there was a Goddess after all.

"Alright, we get it. Let's go already." Jade sighed.

 

 

As they approached the palace steps, Erik noticed the guards murmuring, occasionally pausing to look at him. As they walked closer, the murmuring stopped, and they all turned to stare at him. He stepped towards the guard to the left.

"Spit it out."

The guards exchanged an apprehensive look.

"Erik!" El protested, but was promptly ignored.

"C'mon, it's obvious you're talking about me."

"A thousand apologies, my friend, you are correct." He bowed his head. "But are you sure you want to know? What about your companions?"

"Whatever it is, you can say it in front of my friends."

The guard gave a dramatic sigh.

"There are many rumours flying around about you and our noble protector, Prince Faris."

"Rumours, what rumours?" He stuck a hand to his hip.

"That you're having some kind of secret affair."

The guard next to him tutted, clearly unimpressed by his friend's loose tongue.

Erik scoffed.

"Ewww, gross! Did _he_ spread these rumours, by any chance?"

"It is not a rumour!" A second guard piped up. "I saw it with my very own eyes! You two, in that alleyway, after dark, kissing _very_  passionately.

Veronica and Jade collectively sniggered from behind him. Erik took a step back, nearly falling backwards down the stairs.

"No, I'd remember-"

"You looked very, very drunk."

"So he decided to assault me?! Very princely."

"Actually... it was the other way round. From where I was standing, you grabbed him first."

The ripples of laughter grew louder, taunting him, forcing him into action. He whirled around to face the culprits, looking at them accusingly.

"This is _not_  funny!"

His defensiveness spurred them on, adding more fuel to the fire, causing the laughter to grow even louder.

"Sorry, honey, but it is a little." Sylv at least tried to conceal his smirk, the palm of his hand over his mouth.

Erik growled.

"Perhaps it'd be better if you didn't come in, laddie?" Rab offered calmly.

"Oh, I'm going! He has a lot to answer for. Also, you," he jabbed a finger at the second guard, "where was El when this was all  _supposedly_  happening!"

"He was there the entire time, watching you and Prince Faris, er, embrace, his clothes barely done up."

There was a loud spluttering from behind him, with even Hendrik's stone face slipping for a moment.

El went white as a sheet.

"No need to be embarrassed, son. Two handsome young men in one night? Can't say I'm not proud, you remind me of myself at yer age, laddie. Well, obviously, it was girls for me, but ye like what ye like... heheh." Rab patted El's back in a congratulatory manner.

"That's it!" Erik exclaimed. "I'm going in there and showing him what's what!" He angrily stormed inside.

"We better follow him before he does something drastic... like hit him, or even worse, start kissing him again." Jade sniggered.

El frowned disapprovingly while the rest of them descended into giggles once again. Veronica looked like she might burst.  
Eventually, they started towards the cool respite of the palace. El kept his eyes firmly fixed to the ground.

 

 

"Yer majesty, Erdwin's lantern..."

Erik zoned out, frantically attempting to piece together fragments of memories. He tried to meet Faris' eyes, which immediately darted to furthest corner of the room from Erik. He tried again, illicting the same hasty reaction.

 _You are_ so _guilty._

"Hey Faris, why don't you come with us to investigate?" Jade suggested, trying not to break into giggles.  
  
"Yeah, I think Erik's pretty weak from the hangover, so needs someone _big_  and _brave_  to protect him." Veronica added gleefully, a devilish glint in her eye.

_I'm gonna fucking kill them- or at least steal something important to them. Good luck taming that hair, Jade, when your hairbrush goes missing. Oh, can't find your staff to protect yourself in battle, Veronica? What a shame._

Faris finally looked over to Erik, who responded by glaring at him as if to say _don't you dare_.

"Oh, I've got an even better idea! Why don't you, Erik and El go ahead. You'd be a strong _threesome._ " Jade poked.

One of the guards snorted, but was promptly nudged into silence by the man to his left, who was trying not to break out into a smirk.

Faris glanced anxiously from El and Erik.

"I am happy to assist in whatever way I can." He offered, bowing politely.  
  
"I bet you are." Veronica muttered quietly.

"Ronnie, stop it!" Sylv whispered, barely holding back the giggles.

Rab continued, ignoring the lapse in concentration of his fellow party members.

"Anyway, as I was saying-"

"Mighty Yggdrasil, I can't take this anymore!" Erik blurted, unable to control himself any longer. "Did. We. Have. Sex. Last. Night?" He growled, staring directly at Faris.

"Erik! Now is _not_ the time!" He brought a hand to his mouth.

"Now is exactly the time. Have you heard some of the stuff your guards are saying? Pretty outrageous, if you ask me!"

Jade and Veronica were stunned into silence. They knew they had riled Erik up, but hadn't expected him to explode right here, or to be quite so _direct._

Faris was equally quiet, his face a picture of shock.

The Sultan chuckled heartily.

"Oh, Faris, my boy, where are your manners?  You could have at least taken the poor boy back to the palace."

"Wait father, you are okay with... this?"

"But of course! You won't be getting anyone pregnant, which is a weight off my shoulders."

Faris breathed a huge sigh of relief, nearly collapsing under the sheer pressure of the situation.

"While this family acceptance is all very lovely, could you please answer my damn question!" Erik yelled, his voice echoing across the throne room.

"Come to my room, we can discuss it there in private."

"Tsk, I'm not falling for that one."

"You would prefer me to say it in front of your friends..?"

"Obviously not. Ugh, fine, but El's coming, so don't try anything."

He strolled past Veronica and Jade, giving them each a death glare as he passed them.

 

 

Erik sighed, standing with his arms folded. His eyes were fixed on Faris, who was perched on the end of the ornate bed.

"You, me, in an alleyway: explain."

"Well, I found you two in the alley, and you were on your knees, presumably engaging in... well, I guess you can imagine."

"Wow, I guess classy is my middle name." He shook his head, smiling to himself. "Continue."

El's face went red. Erik put an arm around his shoulders and drew him in, kissing his rosy cheek.

"Then the guards came, so you kissed me so I wouldn't hand you over," he shrugged. "That's all there is to it."

"That's it?"

"Pretty much."

"Thank the Goddess! I could kiss you! Well, not actually, sorry..." His nose scrunched involuntarily at the thought of it.

"Last night you said I was a bad kisser." Faris frowned.

"Uh, sorry?"

"No, I appreciate your honesty. Everyone else just lies to me either in fear of being punished or to gain power." He leant forward, resting his head on one of his hands. "You, on the other hand, really don't seem to care what people think of you, which I think is admirable."

"Uh, thanks?"

Erik turned and pushed at the door. Faris got up from the bed then quickly dropped to his knees, mournfully looking up at Erik and El.

"I would also like to apologise for my behaviour at the races, it was... unforgivable. I am truly sorry."  
  
Erik looked over his shoulder at the prince, seeing him sprawled on the floor. It was definitely pathetic, but also weirdly sweet.  
El looked incredibly smug, evidently happy in his achievement to get the prince to change his ways.

"It's cool, don't sweat it. Sorry about outing you to the whole court."

"It's okay, you did me a favour, my friend. I can now court whoever I want." He smiled up at them.  
  
Erik nodded politely then walked out of the door, El on his arm.

"So what's the verdict?" Jade stood there grinning, arms folded.

"We didn't do it!" He grinned widely.

"Congratulations, sweetie!" Sylv smiled back.

"Thank you, thank you." He bowed gracelessly.

Veronica rolled her eyes so hard it looked like they might fall out of their sockets.

"What about the guards seeing you two eating each other's faces, then, hm?"

"Oh, that happened. I did it to stop Faris from arresting me n' El for misbehaving in public. And El's clothes were only like that coz I was giving him-"

He trailed off, realising none of them really needed that detail. El looked at him wrily.

"Giving him _what_?" Veronica pushed, despite knowing full well what he was about to say.

"Doesn't matter."

"In public, that's disgusting! Do you have _any_ shame!?" She cried.

He ignored her, linking arms with El and walking out into the bright midmorning sunlight.

"I'm starting to remember bits and pieces and I've gotta say, what happened last night seems kinda hot."

"Me too." El gave him a bright, sunny smile. "We didn't, er, do it, either. We stopped because you didn't want to."

"Seriously?"

"Uh-huh. I think you were worried about hurting me, just being too darn considerate as usual. So yeah, still a virgin."

_Oh, I guess I didn't do anything wrong, then._

Erik smirked.

"Aww, I can change that."

He grabbed El and dug his hands into his sides, knowing he was ticklish there.

"Erikkk, p-please." He fell against him, giggling uncontrollably.

"Mm, I like it when you beg."

"Shut up!"

He grabbed Erik's jaw and hungrily brought their mouths together, immediately silencing him.

"How sweet!" Serena sighed happily.

"Ugh, please kill me." Veronica grumbled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm gonna take a break from this series coz I'm currently working on a modern au (eek) where Erik tries to mug El but feels guilty and kinda falls for him instead?? I'm a little nervous about posting it tho coz there's only 1 other modern au on here (I think) & I'm not sure people will be interested? Anyway, drop a kudos or a comment if you liked this clusterfuck or would be interested in my new project <3 tyy


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